PPP unveils AJK election candidates amid refugee seats row

• Bilawal-led party names contenders for July 27 AJK Legislative Assembly polls

• Election race gathers momentum as dispute over 12 refugee seats continues

• PPP fields candidates across Mirpur, Kotli, Poonch, Muzaffarabad, Valley and refugee constituencies

 ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) on Sunday unveiled its candidates for the July 27, 2026 general elections to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly, as political activity gathers pace amid a simmering dispute over the 12 refugee seats.

According to the election schedule issued by the AJK Election Commission, candidates were allowed to file nomination papers with returning officers from June 9 until 4pm on June 19. Scrutiny of nomination papers began on June 20, with the list of eligible candidates also issued the same day.

Candidates were given from June 21 to June 24 to file appeals against the acceptance or rejection of nomination papers, while appeals are scheduled to be heard on June 26 and 27 between 9am and 4pm.

Under the schedule, decisions on appeals will be announced between June 28 and June 29, while candidates may withdraw their nomination papers until 2pm on June 30.

The final list of contesting candidates will be published on July 1, followed by the allotment of election symbols on July 2.

Polling for the AJK Legislative Assembly elections will take place on July 27 from 8am to 5pm.

The AJK Legislative Assembly consists of 45 general seats, including 33 constituencies within Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 12 constituencies in Pakistan reserved for refugees from Jammu and Kashmir. In addition, there are eight reserved seats, comprising five for women and one each for ulema, technocrats and Jammu and Kashmir nationals residing abroad.

According to the party announcement, the PPP has nominated Afsar Shahid from LA-1 Mirpur-I, Qasim Majeed from LA-2 Mirpur-II (Chakswari), Yasar Sultan from LA-3 Mirpur-III (Mirpur City), and Chaudhry Sohaib Arshad from LA-4 Mirpur-IV (Khari Sharif).

پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی نے آزاد جموں و کشمیر قانون ساز اسمبلی کے انتخابات 2026 کے لیے جیالے انتخابی امیدواروں کے ناموں کا اعلان کردیا

پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی نے ایل اے-1 میرپور 1 سے افسر شاہد کو اپنا انتخابی امیدوار نامزد کر دیا

پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی نے ایل اے-2 میرپور 2، چکسواری سے قاسم…

— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) June 28, 2026

For Bhimber and Kotli constituencies, the party has fielded Chaudhry Pervez Ashraf from LA-5 Bhimber-I (Barnala), Malik Zafar from LA-8 Kotli-I (Raj Mahal), Javed Iqbal Bhadhana from LA-9 Kotli-II (Nakyal), Chaudhry Yasin from LA-10 Kotli-III (Kotli), Chaudhry Akhlaq from LA-11 Kotli-IV (Sehensa), and Chaudhry Yasin from LA-12 Kotli-V (Charhoi).

In Poonch, Bagh and Sudhnoti constituencies, the PPP has nominated Sardar Qamar Zaman from LA-16 Bagh-III (Sharqi), Faisal Mumtaz Rathore from LA-17 Bagh-IV (Haveli), Sardar Amjad Yousaf from LA-18 Sudhnoti-Poonch-I, Sardar Saud Sadiq from LA-19 Sudhnoti-Poonch-II (Hajira), Sardar Yaqoob from LA-20 Sudhnoti-Poonch-III (Khaigala), Sardar Muhammad Abid Khan from LA-21 Rawalakot City, and Sardar Faheem Akhtar Rabbani from LA-24 Sudhnoti-Poonch-VII (Baloch).

For Muzaffarabad and Neelum Valley, the party has named Mian Abdul Waheed from LA-26 Lower Neelum, Sardar Javed Ayub from LA-27 Katla, Syed Bazil Naqvi from LA-28 Muzaffarabad-II, Sardar Mukhtar Ahmed Khan from LA-29 Muzaffarabad City, Mubashir Munir Awan from LA-30 Hattian Dupatta, Ashfaq Zafar from LA-32 Chakar, and Dewan Ali Chughtai from LA-33 Leepa.

For the refugee constituencies, the PPP has nominated Colonel (Retd) Qadeer Chauhan from LA-34 Jammu-I (Jhang, Lahore, Sindh and Balochistan), Chaudhry Asif Gujjar from LA-35 Jammu-II (Gujranwala), Chaudhry Ahsan Ismail Gujjar from LA-36 Jammu-III (Sialkot), Shaheen Kausar Dar from LA-37 Jammu-IV (Narowal-Shakargarh), Raja Shahid Iqbal Advocate from LA-38 Jammu-V (Gujrat-Wazirabad), and Chaudhry Fakhar Zaman from LA-39 Jammu-VI (Jhelum, Rawalpindi and Attock).

For the Valley constituencies, the PPP has nominated Amir Abdul Ghaffar Lone from LA-40 Valley-I (Karachi), Ghulam Abbas Mir from LA-41 Valley-II (Lahore), Javed Butt from LA-43 Valley-IV (Rawalpindi), Muhammad Rashid Islam Butt from LA-44 Valley-V (Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Attock), and Abdul Majeed Khan from LA-45 Valley-VI (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).