Azad Jammu and Kashmir is currently governed by an interim setup led by Acting President Chaudhry Latif Akbar and Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore of the Pakistan Peoples Party. Many readers search for the “governor” of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, but the territory does not have a governor in the way Pakistan’s provinces do. Instead, it is headed by a President, who serves as the constitutional head of state, while executive authority rests with the Prime Minister and the elected AJK Legislative Assembly. This article explains who currently holds these offices, how the AJK government functions, and how it differs from the government of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
Background
Azad Jammu and Kashmir, often abbreviated as AJK, is a self-governing territory administered by Pakistan under its own interim constitution. It emerged in 1947 after a local uprising against Dogra rule, and since then it has functioned with its own president, prime minister, legislative assembly and judiciary, distinct from Pakistan’s four provinces. Because AJK is not a province, it has never had a “governor” post; that title belongs only to Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The confusion around the term is common, which is why this explainer clarifies both the correct terminology and the current officeholders. The most recent leadership change in AJK came after the death of President Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry, who passed away on 31 January 2026 while still in office. Following his death, Chaudhry Latif Akbar, who was serving as Speaker of the AJK Legislative Assembly, took over as Acting President under the territory’s constitutional succession rules. He continues to hold this position at present, overseeing the ceremonial and constitutional duties of the presidency while a permanent successor is expected to be elected by the Legislative Assembly in due course.
Details
On the executive side, AJK’s government is currently led by Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, who was sworn in as the 16th Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir on 18 November 2025. He replaced Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, who was removed through a successful no-confidence motion in the AJK Legislative Assembly after his coalition lost its working majority. Rathore belongs to the Pakistan Peoples Party and comes from a well-established political family in Azad Kashmir; his late father, Raja Mumtaz Hussain Rathore, also served as prime minister of the territory in the early 1990s. The Pakistan Peoples Party currently commands the majority in the 53-seat AJK Legislative Assembly, having consolidated its numbers through defections and a successful vote of no-confidence against the previous PTI-aligned coalition. This makes the PPP the ruling party of Azad Jammu and Kashmir at present, with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) forming the principal opposition blocs within the assembly. It is worth noting that AJK’s government structure mirrors a parliamentary system. The President is elected by the Legislative Assembly and acts largely as a ceremonial head of state, similar in spirit to the President of Pakistan, while day-to-day governance, cabinet formation and policy decisions rest with the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers. The Prime Minister is accountable to the Legislative Assembly and can be removed through a no-confidence vote, exactly as happened in November 2025.
Geographically, Azad Jammu and Kashmir spans roughly 13,297 square kilometers and is divided into ten districts across three administrative divisions: Muzaffarabad, Mirpur and Poonch. According to official government figures published by the AJK Bureau of Statistics, the territory’s population stands at approximately 4.47 million people, with Mirpur, Muzaffarabad and Kotli districts among the most densely populated. The territory’s map shows a narrow, mountainous strip bordering Pakistan’s Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces to the west and south, and the Line of Control with Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir to the east. The Azad Kashmir flag carries deep symbolic meaning for residents. It features a green field representing prosperity and Islam, with a white vertical band near the hoist symbolizing peace and minority communities, and a red triangle bearing a white crescent and star, echoing the broader Kashmiri liberation movement’s historical symbolism. The flag is flown alongside the Pakistani flag at official government buildings across the territory.
Quotes
Speaking after taking oath as Prime Minister in November 2025, Rathore expressed gratitude for the responsibility placed on him and reaffirmed the Pakistan Peoples Party’s historical connection with the people of Azad Kashmir, describing the relationship as one that could not be undermined by political rivals. He also recalled his family’s long association with the party, noting that his late father had been chosen as a senior minister and later as prime minister of AJK by earlier PPP leadership, and said the current mandate carried forward that legacy of trust between the party and the region.
Rathore has since repeatedly stressed that dialogue remains the only viable path to resolving local political tensions, particularly the concerns raised by the Joint Awami Action Committee over economic grievances affecting daily life in the territory. In meetings with delegations from local press bodies, including the All Kashmir Newspaper Society, he has also raised objections about the treatment of his party during recent general elections, alleging that various tactics were used to favour rival political forces. He has framed these remarks as part of a broader call for a more level electoral playing field across Azad Kashmir going forward. Officials close to the AJK government have also pointed to continuity in governance as a key priority following the sudden loss of President Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry. Acting President Chaudhry Latif Akbar has been described by government sources as ensuring administrative stability during the transition period, with his office emphasizing that the constitutional machinery of the state continued to function smoothly despite the unexpected vacancy at the top. Sources within the Legislative Assembly say discussions on a permanent presidential election are ongoing, though no formal timeline has yet been announced publicly. Federal leaders in Islamabad have also weighed in on developments in Azad Kashmir. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif assured the incoming AJK premier that the prosperity and development of the territory would remain among the federal government’s top priorities, signaling continued coordination between Islamabad and Muzaffarabad on economic and security matters affecting the region. Separately, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari publicly welcomed Rathore’s appointment, framing it as a reaffirmation of the party’s enduring bond with the people of Azad Kashmir and reiterating the party’s broader position on regional and cross-border issues connected to the Kashmir dispute.
Impact
The change in AJK’s top leadership carries both regional and symbolic significance. Domestically, the shift to a PPP-led government in Muzaffarabad strengthens the party’s political footprint in Azad Kashmir, coming at a time when it is also seeking to expand its influence across other parts of Pakistan. The consolidation of assembly seats through defections has also reshaped the balance of power among AJK’s political parties, weakening the PTI’s previously dominant position in the territory. Regionally, developments in Azad Kashmir remain closely watched because of the territory’s connection to the broader, decades-old Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India. Any change in AJK’s leadership or political direction is often read alongside developments in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, even though the two regions operate under entirely separate governments, constitutions and administrative systems. For residents of Azad Kashmir, the political transition has practical implications as well. A new prime minister typically brings shifts in cabinet composition, development priorities and local governance appointments, all of which affect service delivery in areas such as health, education and infrastructure across AJK’s ten districts.
Conclusion
As of now, Azad Jammu and Kashmir does not have a governor, since it is a self-governing territory rather than a province of Pakistan, and readers searching for that term should understand that the correct constitutional office is the presidency. Its head of state is currently Acting President Chaudhry Latif Akbar, who stepped into the role following the sudden death of President Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry in January 2026, while executive governance is led by Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore of the Pakistan Peoples Party, who took office in November 2025 after a successful no-confidence motion reshaped the balance of power in the AJK Legislative Assembly.
Looking ahead, the Legislative Assembly is expected to formally elect a permanent president in the coming months, a development that will be closely watched both within Azad Kashmir and by observers tracking the broader Kashmir dispute. The timing and outcome of that election could also influence the internal dynamics of the PPP-led coalition, particularly as smaller parties and independents continue to weigh their alliances ahead of any future political realignment in the assembly. Until a permanent president is chosen, the current PPP-led government is expected to continue focusing on economic stability, infrastructure development, and addressing the concerns raised by civil society groups such as the Joint Awami Action Committee. Prime Minister Rathore has signaled that dialogue, rather than confrontation, will remain his government’s preferred approach to managing these pressures. Given AJK’s historical volatility around leadership transitions, both the presidential election process and the PPP government’s handling of local economic grievances are likely to shape the territory’s political landscape well into the coming year, making this a story worth continued monitoring for anyone following developments in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which party government is in Jammu and Kashmir?
On the Indian-administered side, the government of Jammu and Kashmir is currently led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, who took office on 16 October 2024 following the 2024 Legislative Assembly election, the first such exercise held in the region in a decade. His government operates as a coalition between the National Conference, which emerged as the single largest party with 42 seats, and the Indian National Congress, together commanding a comfortable majority in the 90-member assembly. Surinder Kumar Choudhary of the National Conference serves as deputy chief minister, and the coalition governs under the oversight of the Lieutenant Governor, currently Manoj Sinha, who continues to hold significant constitutional authority since Jammu and Kashmir functions as a union territory rather than a full state. This is an entirely separate administration from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, operating under India’s constitutional and legal framework rather than Pakistan’s.
Is the BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir?
No, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not currently in government in Jammu and Kashmir, despite performing strongly in the 2024 assembly election. The party won its highest-ever seat tally in the region with 29 seats, largely concentrated in the Jammu plains, and its representatives now serve as the principal opposition bloc in the Legislative Assembly, led by Sunil Kumar Sharma as Leader of the Opposition. The governing coalition instead is led by the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in alliance with the Indian National Congress. While the BJP does not control the elected state government, it is worth noting that the Lieutenant Governor, who represents the central government of India and retains authority over certain reserved subjects such as law and order in the union territory, is appointed by India’s federal government, which is itself led by the BJP.
Which party is Prime Minister in Azad Kashmir?
The Prime Minister’s office in Azad Kashmir is currently held by a leader from the Pakistan Peoples Party. Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, the sitting Prime Minister since 18 November 2025, belongs to the PPP, which also holds the majority of seats in the 53-member AJK Legislative Assembly following political realignments that took place in late 2025, including a wave of defections from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s forward bloc. Rathore is also the general secretary of the PPP’s AJK chapter and is widely regarded as a close and trusted figure within the party’s central leadership, including its chairman, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. This makes the Pakistan Peoples Party the ruling party of Azad Jammu and Kashmir at present, a distinct political reality from the National Conference-led government across the Line of Control in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
