Web Desk: Dr Muhammad Najib Naqi Khan has been elected president of Azad Jammu and Kashmir after securing 32 votes in the presidential election held by the AJK Legislative Assembly on Thursday.
Naqi, a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz politician and longtime figure in AJK politics, defeated Pakistan Peoples Party candidate Chaudhry Latif Akbar in the contest. His election marks the latest chapter in a political career spanning more than three decades.
Born in Rawalpindi on Jan. 19, 1964, Naqi received his early education at Aitchison College before studying medicine at King Edward Medical College in Lahore. He completed his MBBS degree in 1988 and subsequently entered public life.
Politics was already familiar territory for his family. His father, Col. Muhammad Naqi Khan, was active in AJK politics and served as a minister and member of the legislative assembly. His grandfather, Col. Khan Muhammad Khan, is remembered in AJK political history as the “Baba-e-Poonch.”
Naqi entered electoral politics in the early 1990s and won a seat in the AJK Legislative Assembly in 1991. He subsequently held parliamentary and government responsibilities, including roles related to health and planning and development.
Over the following years, Naqi remained active in AJK’s political landscape, serving as a legislator, member of the Kashmir Council and minister in successive governments.
During the PML-N government from 2016 to 2021, he held important portfolios including health and finance. He also remained associated with areas including education, information technology and planning and development.
His political career has largely been linked to Sudhanoti, where he has represented his constituency through multiple political cycles.
Earlier this year, Naqi returned to the AJK Legislative Assembly following the 2026 general elections.
The presidential contest took shape earlier this month when PML-N President Nawaz Sharif nominated Naqi as the party’s candidate for the AJK presidency on Sept. 16.
Naqi subsequently submitted his nomination papers on Sept. 19, setting up a contest with PPP candidate Chaudhry Latif Akbar.
The election was held on Sept. 24 in the AJK Legislative Assembly. Naqi secured 32 votes to win the presidency.
The electoral process took place against an unusual backdrop, as general elections had not been completed in seven constituencies in Poonch and Sudhanoti, affecting the composition of the assembly during the presidential election.
Naqi’s election brings an experienced AJK politician to the region’s presidency after decades in legislative and ministerial roles.
His career has combined medicine, parliamentary politics and executive responsibilities, while his family’s longstanding involvement in AJK public life has also shaped his political background.
As president, Naqi now assumes a constitutional office with responsibilities that include representing Azad Jammu and Kashmir and performing duties assigned to the president under the region’s constitutional framework.
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