As Pakistan’s political horizon turns toward the 2026 electoral cycle, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif has signaled a decisive move by assuming a direct role in shaping the party’s political strategy for Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).

Chairing a high-level meeting in Lahore, he announced his personal oversight of the party’s campaign in both regions, a move carrying strategic, political and symbolic significance.

For decades, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan have occupied a complex space within Pakistan’s political framework—strategically critical and emotionally central, yet often treated as peripheral. Nawaz Sharif’s decision to personally lead the campaign suggests a deliberate effort to reposition these regions within national political discourse, linking electoral politics with governance, development and institutional continuity.

At the core of Sharif’s engagement lies a focus on organizational discipline and merit-based politics. He emphasized that party nominations must........

© Pakistan Observer