President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry passes away

 

MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry passed away.

Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Islamabad due to illness, where he passed away. Family sources have confirmed the death of President Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry.

Barrister Sultan Mehmood’s funeral prayers will be offered in his native district of Mirpur on Sunday at 3 pm. He was 71 years old.

It should be noted that Barrister Sultan Mehmood had been away from political activities for some time due to illness, after which Speaker of the Assembly Chaudhry Latif Akbar had assumed the responsibilities as the acting President.

Barrister Sultan Mehmood was made the President of the state after the 2021 general elections. His son, Yasir Sultan, is currently a member of the assembly from his native seat.

Barrister Sultan Mehmood had recently joined the Pakistan Peoples Party along with his group. Earlier, he was part of the PTI Forward Block.

AJK President Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry

He received his early education in his native area, matriculation from Cantt Public School, Rawalpindi, and graduation from Gordon College, Rawalpindi.

Later, he went to the UK for higher education, where he obtained a Bar at Law degree from the renowned legal institution Lincoln’s Inn.

He returned to the country in 1983 and started active politics. Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry was elected as the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir in 1996, while in 2021, he assumed the office of President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

He was elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly 9 times from his native Mirpur constituency.

The late leader also led various political parties, including the President Azad Muslim Conference, the President Liberation League Azad Kashmir, the President Peoples Party Azad Kashmir, and the President Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Azad Kashmir.

He highlighted the Kashmir issue at the global level in a vigorous, aggressive, and effective manner. Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry presented the Kashmir issue at the United Nations, European Union, US State Department, and other international forums.

He led historic Kashmir marches at Trafalgar Square in London, in front of the United Nations in New York, in Brussels, Dublin, and at the Berlin Wall.
Political, social, and public circles are expressing deep sorrow and grief over the death of Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, while the Kashmiri people have described him as a brave, fearless, and sincere leader.