MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) leader and Member Legislative Assembly (MLA) from LA-18 Abbaspur Sardar Abdul Qayoom Niazi elected as 13th Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir by securing 33 votes out of 48 members present in the Assembly on Wednesday.

While opposition joint candidate from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for the slot Chauhary Latif Akbar secured 15 votes.

Earlier, his nomination papers were filed after Prime Minister Imran Khan announced his name through a letter to parliamentary party read out by Federal Minister Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs Ali Amin Gandapur in the meeting.

Sardar Abdul Qayoom Niazi been elected member from LA-18 Abbaspur, a constituency most backward and located on Line of Control (LoC), with a lead of more than 8 thousand votes against his rival Pakistan Muslim Nawaz (PMLN) candidate Ch. Yaseen Gulshan.

Newly-elected AJK legislative assembly members take oath

He had earlier elected member in 2006 elections on Muslim Conference ticket and served as minister Food and Forest in the cabinet of former Prime Minister Sardar Attique Ahmad Khan. His elder brother Sardar Mustafa Khan was also member from this constituency in 1985.

Meanwhile, newly-elected Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Sardar Abdul Qayoom Niazi was sworn in at the President House on Wednesday evening.

President Sardar Muhammad Masood Khan administered the oath of office to him at a ceremony attended by Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Ali Amin Gandapur, PTI leaders, notables, MLAs and high officials.

Latter, a smartly turned out contingent of the AJK Police presented him the guard of honour.