Iftikhar Gilani

Syed Iftikhar Ali Gilani is a Pakistani politician and current Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir since 28 August 2026. He is a member of the Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly since August 2026 and previously from October 2011 to August 2021.

Political career Gilani was elected to the Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly from LA-26 Muzaffarabad-III as a candidate of Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML(N)) in a September 2011 by-election. He received 22,691 votes and defeated Usman Attique, a candidate of All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference, who was also supported by Pakistan People's Party (PPP).

He was re-elected to the Assembly from LA-26 Muzaffarabad-III as a candidate of PML(N) in the 2016 Azad Kashmiri general election. He received 20,506 votes and defeated Khawaja Farooq Ahmed, a candidate of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

On 6 August 2016, he was sworn into the cabinet of Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan, and was made the Minister for Higher, Elementary, and Secondary Education and Muzaffarabad City Development Project. After a cabinet re-shuffle on 7 November 2018, he was additionally assigned the portfolio of Environment.

He contested the 2021 Azad Kashmiri general election from LA-29 Muzaffarabad-III as a candidate of PML(N), but was unsuccessful. He received 10,557 votes and was defeated by Khawaja Farooq Ahmed, a candidate of PTI.

He was re-elected to the Assembly from a reserved seat for technocrats in the 2026 Azad Kashmiri general election as a candidate of the PML(N). In the same election, he contested from LA-29 Muzaffarabad-III as a candidate of PML(N), but was unsuccessful. He received 16,413 votes and was defeated by Mukhtar Ahmad Khan Abbasi, a candidate of Pakistan People's Party (PPP).

Nawaz Sharif, the president of the PML (N), nominated Gilani as the party's candidate for the office of Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir. His nomination was opposed by some senior PML-N leaders in Azad Kashmir, including Shah Ghulam Qadir and former prime minister Raja Farooq Haider.

On 28 August 2026, he was elected as Prime Minister, receiving 30 votes, and defeating Mukhtar Ahmad Khan Abbasi of PPP, who received 14 votes. On the same day, he was administered the oath of office by Speaker Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, who was serving as acting President.