Ruling party candidate wins prime ministership in Pakistan-administered Kashmir

Lawmakers in the Pakistan-administered part of Kashmir elected Syed Iftikhar Ali Gillani as prime minister, with the candidate obtaining 30 of the 44 ballots cast. Gillani represents the Pakistan Muslim League-N, marking the party’s return to power in the area after a decade-long hiatus. His opponent, Mukhtar Ahmed Abbasi of the Pakistan People’s Party, garnered 14 votes.

The vote came after a boycott call by the banned Joint Awami Action Committee, which had been organizing protests over the election. Regional officials and the election commission confirmed the results. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sent congratulations, underscoring the significance of the outcome in the contested Himalayan region claimed by both Pakistan and India.