PML-N President Nawaz Sharif directed Gilani to submit his nomination papers for the AJK premiership, party leader Marriyum Aurangzeb confirmed to Geo News.

Aurangzeb said Gilani’s nomination was made with Nawaz’s approval.

Gilani was elected to the AJK Legislative Assembly on the reserved seat for technocrats as the PML-N secured six of the eight reserved seats, further strengthening its position in the house.

The eight reserved seats comprise five for women and one each for technocrats, Ulema and Mashaikh, and overseas Kashmiris.

The PML-N won three women’s seats, along with the technocrat, Ulema and Mashaikh, and overseas Kashmiri seats. The PPP secured the remaining two women’s seats.

PML-N candidates Seharish Qamar, Maryam Zaman and Maryam Idrees won the three women’s seats, while PPP candidates Farzana Yaqub and Zobia Khurshid secured the other two.

In one contest, Zobia Khurshid and Rifat Abid received five votes each, with Khurshid declared successful through a draw.

PML-N’s Pir Mazhar Saeed Shah won the reserved seat for Ulema and Mashaikh, while Abdul Rehman Arain was elected on the seat reserved for overseas Kashmiris.

The results increased the PML-N’s strength in the AJK Legislative Assembly to 31 seats, compared with 14 held by the PPP. With the support of one member of the Jammu and Kashmir Awami Dast-o-Bazu (JK ADB), the PML-N has the backing of 32 members.

However, the government formation process is proceeding without seven members, as elections in seven constituencies in Poonch and Sudhnoti districts are still pending.

The PML-N emerged as the largest party in the recently concluded three-phase general elections, winning 25 seats compared with the PPP’s 11.

In the first phase, held across 13 constituencies of Mirpur Division, the PML-N won nine seats while the PPP secured four.

The PML-N strengthened its position in the second phase, winning 15 of the 18 seats contested across Muzaffarabad Division and the refugee constituencies. The PPP won six.

The third phase covered two constituencies, with the PML-N and PPP securing one seat each, taking their overall tallies to 25 and 11 respectively.

The elections were accompanied by allegations of rigging from the PPP, which questioned the conduct of the polling process.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari criticised the federal government following the second phase and indicated that his party would intensify its political opposition.

The PML-N rejected the allegations, while Nawaz Sharif urged political stakeholders to keep rivalries within democratic limits and avoid turning political differences into enmity.