MUZAFFARABAD: The ruling PML-N and opposition PPP on Saturday submitted nomination papers for their respective candidates for the office of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) president, setting the stage for a contest on September 24.

The office of the AJK president has remained vacant since January this year following the death of Barrister Sultan Mahmood. Previously, then-Legislative Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar was serving as acting president. The role was then assumed by incumbent Legislative Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Tariq Farooq after he was elected speaker on August 25.

Under the AJK Constitution, the president is elected by members of the Legislative Assembly by a majority of the total membership, in the manner prescribed by law.

The nomination papers were received by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, who is also the returning officer for the presidential election.

The PML-N has fielded 62-year-old former minister Dr Najeeb Naqi, whose nomination was proposed by senior PML-N leader and former prime minister Raja Farooq Haider and seconded by AJK Prime Minister Iftikhar Gillani.

Meanwhile, the PPP nominated 78-year-old Akbar for the office, with his nomination proposed by former minister Deevan Ali Khan Chughtai and seconded by fellow legislator Sardar Mukhtar Ahmed Abbasi.

The PML-N hopeful arrived at the Election Commission office accompanied by his proposer and seconder, as well as several other PML-N legislators, including the party’s regional president, Shah Ghulam Qadir.

Haider and Gillani first posed for photographs with the nomination paper as they appeared to formally hand it over to the CEC.

Subsequently, several other PML-N legislators, including the party president and ministers, also posed with the same nomination paper, standing alongside the CEC and appearing to hand it over to him in a similar manner.

Akbar was also accompanied by several PPP legislators, who posed for photographs during the submission of his nomination papers.

Both nomination papers were declared valid after scrutiny.

Candidates may withdraw their nomination papers by 11:30am on Sept 23 (Wednesday), while polling will be held at the AJK Assembly Secretariat from 10am to 1pm on Sept 24 (Thursday), followed by the counting of votes and announcement of the result on the same day.

Last month, polls were held across the region for seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly.

The elections in the region, originally scheduled for July 27, were divided into phases over security concerns amid unrest in the region. The first phase was held on July 27, the second on Aug 2 and the third on Aug 10.

The third phase was originally meant to cover all of Poonch Division, which comprises 11 constituencies, including three in Bagh, one in Haveli, five in Poonch district and two in Sudhnoti district.

However, the AJK Election Commission announced that polling would only go ahead as scheduled in Bagh and Haveli because of concerns over the law and order situation.

In the direct elections to 38 constituencies, the PML-N secured 25 seats while the PPP won 12. The lone MLA-elect of the Awami Dast-o-Bazu party also joined hands with the PML-N.

The PPP alleged widespread rigging in the polls, with the party also ramping up its criticism of the ruling PML-N.

On August 24, the PML-N bagged five seats while the PPP won two of the seven reserved seats that were up for grabs in the assembly. Newly elected members of the AJK Legislative Assembly were administered the oath of office by Akbar that same day.