Chaudhry Latif Akbar

Chaudhry Latif Akbar (Urdu: چوہدری لطیف اکبر) is a Pakistani politician who serves as the 14th Speaker of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. He is a senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and has previously served as Leader of the Opposition, Minister for Finance, and as Acting President of Azad Kashmir for oath-taking duties.

Early life and education Akbar was born on 4 February 1948 in a village in Muzaffarabad District. He completed his LL.B. degree from the University of Peshawar.

Political career

Member of the Assembly Akbar entered politics in the 1970s, becoming the vice president of the PPP Muzaffarabad district in 1976.

After the election, the PPP nominated him for the position of Speaker, but he was unsuccessful. He received 8 votes and was defeated by Shah Ghulam Qadir, a candidate of All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference (AJKMC), who received 35 votes.

He was re-elected to the Assembly from LA-27 Muzaffarabad-IV as a candidate of PPP in the 2011 Azad Kashmiri general election.

He contested the 2016 Azad Kashmiri general election from LA-27 Muzaffarabad-IV as a candidate of PPP, but was unsuccessful.

The PPP nominated Akbar as the President of Azad Kashmir in 2016, but he was unsuccessful. He received 6 votes and was defeated by Masood Khan, a candidate of Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML(N)).

He was re-elected to the Assembly from LA-31 Muzaffarabad-V as a candidate of PPP in the 2021 Azad Kashmiri general election. He received 22,194 votes and defeated Saqib Majeed Raja, a candidate of AJKMC.

The joint opposition consisting of PPP and PML(N) nominated Akbar as the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir after the election, but he was unsuccessful. He received 15 votes and was defeated by Abdul Qayyum Khan Niazi, a candidate of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

He contested the 2026 Azad Kashmiri general election from LA-31 Muzaffarabad-V as a candidate of PPP, but was unsuccessful. He received 23,957 votes and was defeated by Saqib Majeed Raja, a candidate of PML(N).

Ministerial roles Akbar served as the Minister for Finance, Planning, and Development from 2 August 2011 to 2016.

Leader of the Opposition (2021–2023) Akbar served as the Leader of the Opposition from August 2021 to June 2023. During the 2023 Speaker's election, he was still officially holding the position despite PPP joining the ruling coalition.

Speaker of the Assembly (2023–present) On 3 June 2023, following the elevation of Chaudhry Anwarul Haq to Prime Minister, Akbar was elected Speaker of the Assembly with support from the PPP–PML(N) coalition, while the PTI boycotted the vote. He assume the role again on 31 January 2026 due to the death of President Chaudhry.