He secured 32 votes against Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Chaudhry Qasim Majeed, who received 13 votes. PML-N’s Ahmed Raza Qadri was also elected Deputy Speaker with 32 votes, while PPP’s Aamir Ghafar Lone received 13 votes and one vote was rejected.
After the election, outgoing Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar administered the oath to Tariq Farooq and congratulated him on assuming the office.
Who Is Chaudhry Tariq Farooq?
Chaudhry Tariq Farooq was born on June 5, 1960, in Bhimber and began his political career at a young age. His political journey spans nearly four decades, during which he experienced both electoral victories and defeats but remained active in politics.
He was first elected as a member of the District Council Mirpur in the 1987 local government elections.
In 1990, he became a member of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council and later served as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of the Kashmir Council. He also served as vice president of the Muslim Conference and chairman of its Youth Board.
In 2006, Tariq Farooq contested the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election on a Muslim Conference ticket but was unsuccessful.
He joined the PML-N Azad Kashmir in 2010 and was elected to the Legislative Assembly for the first time in the 2011 elections on a PML-N ticket.
He retained his seat in the 2016 elections and became the most senior minister in the Azad Kashmir government. During his political career, he has also served as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, deputy opposition leader and a minister in different governments.
Tariq Farooq faced defeat in the 2021 elections, but continued his association with the PML-N and remained active in the party’s organizational and political activities.
He has served as senior vice president of PML-N Azad Kashmir and currently holds the position of general secretary.
Return to the Assembly
Bhimber has remained Tariq Farooq’s political stronghold, and he has contested elections from the constituency several times.
In the latest Azad Kashmir elections, he contested from LA-7 Bhimber on a PML-N ticket and defeated former Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq by a margin of more than 12,000 votes, securing his third election victory.
The 2026 election was his fourth consecutive contest on a PML-N ticket. His political record now includes three electoral victories and one defeat.
With his latest victory, Tariq Farooq returned to the assembly and then secured another major milestone by being elected Speaker of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
His election as Speaker marks a new chapter in a political career that has already spanned almost four decades.
