MUZAFFARABAD – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and former PM Nawaz Sharif made promises while addressing a election rally in Muzaffarabad on Tuesday.
On a lighter note, Sharif said he would ask Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to appoint him as the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) if the party wins the upcoming elections.
اگر ہم کشمیر میں الیکشن جیت جاتے تو میں شہباز شریف سے کہوں گا مجھے آزاد کشمیر کا وزیر اعظم بنا دیں ❤️
نواز شریف pic.twitter.com/beW3Gwkmco— Fahad Hassan fadi 🐯 (@FadiViews) July 21, 2026
Speaking alongside Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Nawaz said his heart is deeply attached to both people of Azad Kashmir and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), vowing to personally lead the region’s development if given the opportunity.
Sharif said, “If the people give PML-N victory in the Azad Kashmir elections, I will tell Shehbaz Sharif to make me the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir.” He said he wanted to personally complete the mission of transforming the state.
The former premier announced an ambitious development agenda, promising to increase Azad Kashmir’s budget tenfold after coming to power. He said the region deserved the same level of progress as Punjab and pledged that all major issues facing the state would be addressed on a priority basis.
Questioning decades of underdevelopment, Nawaz Sharif asked why Muzaffarabad still lacked a motorway, saying the capital should have been among Pakistan’s finest cities. He proposed constructing a modern motorway along the Jhelum River, arguing that the project would unlock tourism, boost trade and improve connectivity across the region.
Sharing details of his journey to Muzaffarabad, Nawaz Sharif said he had told Maryam Nawaz that the pace of development and public welfare initiatives currently underway in Punjab should also be replicated in Azad Kashmir so that its people could enjoy the same modern facilities.
He also unveiled a package of immediate public welfare measures, announcing that 10 green buses would soon be provided for Muzaffarabad’s public transport system, while 15 mobile hospitals would begin operating to improve healthcare access in different parts of the region.
Nawaz Sharif further pledged that, if PML-N forms the government, he would visit Azad Kashmir every three months to personally monitor development projects, review implementation of the party’s election manifesto and ensure that commitments made to the public are fulfilled.
