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MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Shah Ghulam Qadir has been nominated as the next prime minister of AJK. The decision was taken by PML-N President Nawaz Sharif after consultations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. Party sources confirmed on Tuesday that Qadir would take oath as AJK prime minister on Thursday at 5pm at the High Court Ground in Muzaffarabad. The nomination follows the recent AJK elections, which were held in three phases between July 27 and August 10. The PML-N emerged as the largest parliamentary party after securing 25 of the 38 directly contested seats. The Pakistan Peoples Party won 12 seats, while one member of the Awami Dast-o-Bazu joined the PML-N. Qadir is a veteran politician with more than three decades of political experience. He has held several important parliamentary and ministerial positions in AJK. He has served as finance, planning and development minister and also held the food ministry. He was elected speaker of the AJK Legislative Assembly twice. He currently serves as PML-N AJK president and leader of the opposition. Qadir entered politics as a student leader and later became involved with the All-Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference. He eventually served as its secretary general during Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan’s leadership. His electoral career began with his election from the Kashmiri refugees constituency, Kashmir Valley-IV. He went on to win seven elections to the AJK Legislative Assembly. Throughout his political career, Qadir has highlighted the issues of Kashmiri refugees and advocated the right to self-determination for the people of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. He has also represented Kashmir at international forums, including the United Nations General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council. Qadir was among the founding figures of the PML-N in AJK. He played a significant role in strengthening the party’s organisational structure and political presence in the region before becoming its AJK president. During his tenure as assembly speaker, he focused on parliamentary discipline, constitutional governance and legislative oversight. As opposition leader, he continued to call for stronger democratic institutions and accountability. Qadir is known for maintaining political contacts across different parties and is regarded as an experienced parliamentary leader. He is also fluent in Kashmiri and has maintained links with various Kashmiri political circles. His nomination comes after the new AJK Legislative Assembly began its parliamentary term. Forty-six newly elected members took oath during the inaugural session, which was presided over by Assembly Speaker Latif Akbar. The new 53-member assembly has a clear PML-N majority. According to the initial proceedings, 31 PML-N members and one Awami Dast-o-Bazu member took oath, while 14 PPP lawmakers were also sworn in.

ISLAMABAD: A joint symposium on “Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building” was held in Islamabad on Wednesday, bringing together senior Pakistani and Chinese officials, diplomats, parliamentarians, academics and representatives of think tanks to discuss China’s approach to political organisation, governance and institutional development. The symposium was organised by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Pakistan in collaboration with the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS). Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani attended the event as chief guest. The Chinese delegation included Liu Daxiu, Head of Delegation and First-Class Inspector at the Party Building Research Institute of the Organization Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Zheng Huan, Professor of Party Building at the Central Party School of the CPC Central Committee. Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong also addressed the gathering. While adressing, Pakistani and Chinese representatives reaffirmed the longstanding partnership between the two countries, noting that political and institutional exchanges have expanded alongside cooperation in economic, infrastructure and development-related fields. They further added that dialogue between political parties has become an important pillar of the Pakistan-China strategic relationship. Speakers outlined the evolution of Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building, describing it as a doctrine centred on strengthening the Communist Party of China through disciplined leadership, rigorous internal governance, organisational cohesion and ideological development. They said the framework seeks to ensure the Party’s long-term capacity to govern while maintaining accountability, institutional resilience and public trust. CPC’s efforts to curb corruption and maintain discipline, while strengthening the organisation at different levels were also discussed. The recurring theme throughout the symposium was that China’s development should not be viewed solely through the lens of economic growth. Pakistani and Chinese speakers argued that the country’s transformation has also been shaped by strong political organisation, consistent policy implementation and institutional continuity. At the same time, Chinese experts stressed that these experiences were not being presented as a model for direct replication, noting that every country must pursue its own path according to its national circumstances. Participants also reflected on the broader relevance of the CPC’s experience for political parties worldwide, discussing issues such as governance capacity, organisational resilience, leadership development and the ability of institutions to translate policy into tangible results. Chairman Senate Yousaf Raza Gilani, Ambassador Jiang Zaidong and IRS President Jauhar Saleem affirmed the importance of sustained engagement between the two countries and welcomed continued exchanges on governance, public policy and institutional development. The symposium concluded with an interactive session in which participants discussed the relevance of Party building, leadership and governance reforms to contemporary political challenges and future Pakistan-China cooperation.

Pakistan Air Force’s J-10C fighter jets reportedly engaged Indian aircraft during the May 2025 aerial confrontation without direct support from airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. The claim was made in a report by Ukrainian defence publication Defense Express. The report cited Chinese state television and comments from Chinese radar specialist Ben De. According to the report, Pakistani J-10C jets used their onboard KLJ-7A radars to detect and engage Indian aircraft. The jets were reportedly able to track targets from a distance of around 200 kilometres. The report claimed that six Indian aircraft were shot down during the confrontation. It included three Rafale fighter jets among the aircraft allegedly destroyed. The report said the Pakistani fighters did not require direct targeting assistance from AEW&C aircraft during the reported engagements. Instead, the J-10Cs reportedly used their own radar systems to identify and track targets. The KLJ-7A is an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar designed for modern air combat. It can detect and track multiple targets and provide information needed for air-to-air engagements. The report’s claims have drawn attention because AEW&C aircraft are normally used to provide wider-area surveillance and help fighter jets detect threats at longer ranges. The reported use of the J-10C’s onboard radar suggests that the aircraft could conduct long-range engagements with greater independence from airborne surveillance platforms. The May 2025 confrontation involved intense aerial activity between Pakistan and India. Both sides made competing claims about losses and the effectiveness of their military operations. The claim that six Indian aircraft were destroyed, including three Rafales, has not been independently verified. India has also disputed Pakistan’s claims about aircraft losses. The reported account therefore remains a claim attributed to Chinese sources and the Ukrainian defence publication.