Muzaffarabad (Pakistan administrated Kashmir): President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, passed away on Sunday at the age of 71 after a prolonged illness. He was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Islamabad, according to family sources.
The family confirmed that his funeral prayers will be offered later today in his ancestral village Chechiyan, near Mirpur.
Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry began his political career in 1983 and remained an influential figure in Azad Kashmir’s politics for over four decades. During his long political journey, he remained associated with several major political parties, including the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation League, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Representing his ancestral constituency of Mirpur, he was elected nine times as a Member of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, a rare political achievement in the region.
He served as the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir from 1996 to 2001, playing a key role in the political and administrative affairs of the territory. On August 25, 2021, he was elected as the President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, a position he held until his passing.
Barrister Sultan Mahmood joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in February 2015. In the 2016 elections, he faced the first electoral defeat of his 25-year parliamentary career. However, he returned to the Legislative Assembly after winning the 2019 by-elections.
According to medical sources, he was suffering from liver cancer and passed away during treatment in Islamabad.
Following his death, the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir announced three days of official mourning across the state. During this period, the state flag will remain at half-mast, and condolence references will be held in his honor.
Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry is remembered as a seasoned politician, legal expert, and a central figure in Azad Kashmir’s contemporary political history.
