Iftikhar Gilani as PoK Prime Minister? Nawaz Sharif’s Key Decision

Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) may soon get a new prime minister, with PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif reportedly nominating lawyer Iftikhar Gilani for the post, according to a senior party leader. The PoK Legislative Assembly is expected to formally elect the new prime minister on Friday. The Assembly elections were held in three phases amid violent protests and allegations of large-scale rigging.

Gilani contested the election from the Muzaffarabad constituency but lost to Pakistan Peoples Party candidate Sardar Mukhtar Ahmad Khan Abbasi. Despite campaigning by Nawaz Sharif and his daughter, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Gilani failed to secure victory. He was later elected to the Assembly through a technocrat seat. Of the 53 seats in the PoK Assembly, 45 are filled through direct elections, while the remaining eight are reserved for women, technocrats and religious representatives.