rki.news
Altaf Hamid Rao
MIRPUR (AJK), July 24: Eight women candidates have entered the electoral arena for the first time in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s general elections history, contesting Legislative Assembly seats through direct adult franchise.
According to AJK Election Commission sources, a total of 832 candidates are participating in the AJK Legislative Assembly elections 2026, including eight women representing various political parties and independent platforms. Their participation is being seen as a significant development towards greater political inclusion and women’s representation.
The women candidates include Farhat Nisar Malik, contesting independently from LA-8 Kotli-I; Subha Siddique of Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party from LA-12 Kotli-V; Nabeela Irshad Advocate from LA-23 Sudhnoti-VI; Noreen Arif of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) from LA-27 Muzaffarabad-I; Tahneet Iqbal Awan from LA-29 Muzaffarabad City; Taqdees Gillani from LA-28 Lachhrat-II; Shaheen Kausar Dar of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Maryam Javed of PML-N from LA-37 Jammu-IV.
Political observers termed the participation of women candidates on general seats a milestone for AJK’s democratic process. They said the move reflects growing confidence in women’s leadership and could encourage more women to take part in electoral politics.
Analysts believe increased female participation will contribute to strengthening democratic values and expanding political representation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. They added that women’s active involvement may inspire younger generations to engage more actively in public and political affairs across the region.