Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's Najeeb Naqi elected as Pakistani occupied Kashmir 'President'

Islamabad: Najeeb Naqi of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was on Thursday elected as the "President" of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

He secured 32 votes, while his challenger Chaudhry Latif Akbar of Pakistan Peoples Party got 13 votes in the election held at PoK's so-called legislative assembly. Only assembly members were eligible to vote.

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Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Naqi on his victory and conveyed his best wishes, according to a statement issued by the PM's office.

Naqi has previously served as health minister.

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The office of "president" had been vacant since January following the death of Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry.

India has described the recent so-called local body elections in PoK as a "complete farce," asserting that such "hollow" exercises cannot hide the ground reality in the region.