QUETTA – Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry has passed away at the age of 71.
Chaudhry succumbed to prolonged illness in Pakistan’s capital, leaving behind deep void in regional politics. His funeral prayers are scheduled for tomorrow at 3 pm in his native village of Chichiyan, Mirpur, where politicians, friends, and family will gather to pay their last respects.
Expressing profound grief, President Asif Ali Zardari prayed for Chaudhry’s forgiveness and eternal peace, lauding his immense contributions to public service and national politics. Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani described him as a principled and capable leader whose relentless struggle to highlight the Kashmir issue on the international stage will inspire generations to come. Tributes are pouring in from across the country as citizens and leaders remember Chaudhry’s unwavering dedication and integrity.
Chaudhry was the son of the legendary Kashmiri leader Chaudhary Noor Hussain Jatt, co-founder of the Azad Muslim Conference alongside Sardar Ibrahim Khan. Following Sardar Ibrahim Khan’s exit from the party, Chaudhry took the helm, continuing his family’s historic contributions to the movement for a free Jammu and Kashmir.
Throughout his political career, Chaudhry held multiple high-profile positions. He merged his party with the Liberation League, becoming its president, then joined the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) as its AJK president and later served as Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Internal disputes led him to form the Peoples Muslim League in 2005, which won five assembly seats, before eventually rejoining the PPP after reconciling with Benazir Bhutto.
In 2015, Chaudhry joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as AJK president and secured a Legislative Assembly seat in Mirpur in the 2019 by-elections. On 17 August 2021, he was elected President of Azad Kashmir. However, his political ambitions in April 2023 reportedly cost his son and brother-in-law their ministerial positions, highlighting the dramatic twists of his career.
Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry leaves behind a legacy marked by relentless political struggle, family devotion, and a controversial yet impactful journey that reshaped the politics of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
