Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif officially launched his party’s election campaign in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Tuesday, combining political promises with light-hearted remarks as he addressed a large gathering in Muzaffarabad.
_x000D_Accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, the former prime minister urged voters to support the PML-N in the upcoming phased AJK elections, which begin on July 27.
_x000D_ _x000D_A Playful Remark Draws Laughter
_x000D_While addressing party workers, Nawaz jokingly said that if the PML-N wins the elections, he would ask Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to appoint him as the prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
_x000D_The comment drew laughter from supporters before he shifted his focus to development and governance, stressing that the region deserved greater attention and investment.
_x000D_ _x000D_Promises of Development and Higher Budget
_x000D_Nawaz described Azad Kashmir as his “second home” and pledged to visit the region every three months if the PML-N forms the next government there.
_x000D_He promised to personally monitor development projects and announced that the party would increase AJK’s budget by ten times compared to its current level.
_x000D_According to Nawaz, the region would receive the same level of development that Punjab has witnessed over the past few years.
_x000D_He also questioned why a motorway connecting Kohala and Muzaffarabad had still not been built, saying improved infrastructure would help transform the area’s economy.
_x000D_ _x000D_Public Welfare Projects Announced
_x000D_The former prime minister unveiled several initiatives aimed at improving daily life for residents.
_x000D_He announced that ten electric, air-conditioned green buses would soon begin operating in Muzaffarabad, while fifteen mobile hospitals would also be introduced to improve healthcare access in remote areas.
_x000D_Nawaz said his party had never discriminated between Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan or Pakistan’s provinces when launching development projects.
_x000D_ _x000D_Maryam Nawaz Announces Youth Support
_x000D_Addressing the rally, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said she felt a deep personal connection with Azad Kashmir, describing herself as Kashmiri through her family roots and heritage.
_x000D_She said the PML-N was not asking for votes based on promises alone but on its record of governance and development.
_x000D_Maryam announced 2,000 scholarships for students from Azad Kashmir and pledged to distribute laptops to young people to support education and digital learning.
_x000D_She also promised to extend several Punjab government welfare initiatives to the region, including housing programmes, cleanliness campaigns and youth-focused projects.
_x000D_ _x000D_Campaign Enters Full Swing
_x000D_With election campaigning now underway, the PML-N leadership is presenting development, infrastructure and public welfare as the centrepiece of its campaign.
_x000D_Party leaders say that if elected, they intend to accelerate investment in roads, education, healthcare and public transport while expanding economic opportunities across Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
