MUZAFFARABAD: Four candidates, including three nominated by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and one by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), have been elected unopposed as members of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Council.

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Election Commission, through an official notification issued on October 2, 2026, declared Raja Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas, Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed, Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed and Chaudhry Latif Akbar elected members of the AJK Council.

According to notification No. EC/S/25723-29/2026, the Election Commission published the names of the four elected members on the basis of the election return received from the Returning Officer under Section 18 of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council (Election) Act, 1976.

The three PML-N nominees are Raja Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas, Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed and Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed, while Chaudhry Latif Akbar was nominated by the Pakistan Peoples Party.

Since only four candidates submitted nomination papers for the four vacant seats, the electoral process was completed without polling and all four candidates were declared elected unopposed.

Raja Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas

Raja Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas is a senior PML-N leader in AJK. He entered practical politics after a career in journalism and served as a member of the AJK Legislative Assembly. He also served as AJK Minister for Information, Tourism and Culture.

Minhas entered electoral politics in 2016 and was elected to the AJK Legislative Assembly. He subsequently held ministerial responsibilities in the AJK government. In the 2026 general elections, he contested from Bagh but was unsuccessful against PPP candidate Sardar Zia-ul Qamar.

Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed

Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed, a senior PML-N leader, belongs to Mirpur. He has previously served as a member of the AJK Legislative Assembly and as a minister in the AJK government.

In the 2016 AJK elections, Saeed defeated Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, who was then associated with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Mirpur. He subsequently held ministerial portfolios, including Sports, Youth Affairs and Culture.

He contested the 2026 general elections from Mirpur but was not successful against the PPP candidate.

Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed

Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed is a senior PML-N leader with political roots in Muzaffarabad city. The PML-N nominated him for one of the AJK Council seats.

He subsequently filed his nomination papers and, being one of the four candidates against four available seats, was elected unopposed.

Chaudhry Latif Akbar

Chaudhry Latif Akbar is a senior PPP leader in AJK. He has served as Speaker of the AJK Legislative Assembly, Leader of the Opposition and president of the PPP’s AJK chapter.

Akbar was elected Speaker of the AJK Legislative Assembly in June 2023. He has remained one of the prominent political figures of the PPP in AJK and has held several important political and parliamentary positions.

The PPP nominated him for one of the four vacant AJK Council seats, and he was subsequently elected unopposed.

Three PML-N, one PPP member elected

According to the official notification, three of the four newly elected AJK Council members belong to the PML-N, while one belongs to the PPP.

The Election Commission has formally declared Raja Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas, Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed, Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed and Chaudhry Latif Akbar elected members of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council.

The notification was issued under the authority of the AJK Election Commission and bears the signature of Election Commission Secretary Ayaz Bashir.