Muzaffarabad, July 2, 2026: Former Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) prime minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas has announced his decision to join the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), in a move that could reshape the political landscape ahead of the July 27 AJK Legislative Assembly elections.
The announcement came after a meeting with IPP President Abdul Aleem Khan and State Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Awn Chaudhry. During the meeting, Aleem Khan formally welcomed Tanveer Ilyas into the party by presenting him with the IPP party muffler.
The development follows Tanveer Ilyas’s resignation from the primary membership of the Pakistan Peoples Party’s AJK chapter after days of unsuccessful negotiations over the distribution of election tickets, according to The News.
Sources said the dispute centred on the allocation of party tickets for the upcoming AJK elections. Tanveer Ilyas had reportedly sought tickets for several constituencies, including Bagh Central, Pachiot, Upper Neelum and Rawalakot City, with the Bagh Central seat emerging as a key sticking point in talks with the PPP leadership.
In a related development, AJK government minister Ali Shan Soni also resigned from the PPP-AJK’s primary membership, adding to concerns within party ranks over the possible electoral fallout of the departures.
The resignations are being seen by political observers as a setback for the PPP-AJK chapter at a crucial stage of election preparations.
Earlier this month, the AJK Election Commission announced that general elections in the region would be held on July 27. The previous AJK elections were held in July 2021.
