Reporting snapshot · 31 January 2026. AJK government sources announce the president's death; condolences are issued by the federal government and a three-day mourning period is declared.
What happened
Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry died on Saturday in Islamabad at the age of 71 after a prolonged illness, according to a statement from the Pakistan Peoples Party media office carried by Dawn. The statement said funeral prayers would be offered on Sunday in his native village of Chichiyan, Mirpur.
The AJK government subsequently announced three days of mourning over his death, and a state funeral with military honours at Mirpur, the Express Tribune reported from Mirpur. The flag-draped coffin was carried on a gun carriage — a distinction previously accorded to only four figures in Pakistan’s history: Muhammad Ali Jinnah, General Muhammad Ziaul Haq, Abdul Sattar Edhi, and Dr Ruth Pfau.
Political career
Chaudhry was elected AJK prime minister in 1996 and served until 2001, then won election as AJK president in August 2021. He was also elected nine times as a member of the AJK Assembly from Mirpur, according to the PPP statement.
His career traced the major shifts of AJK politics: he ran the PPP’s AJK chapter, broke away to found the People’s Muslim League in 2005, rejoined the PPP, and joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in February 2015. He lost the 2016 AJK elections — the first defeat in 25 years — and returned to the AJK Legislative Assembly in a 2019 Mirpur by-election before winning the presidency two years later, according to his public record.
His death comes days before Kashmir Solidarity Day, observed on 5 February to reaffirm support for the Kashmiri cause.
Federal and political reaction
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief and called Chaudhry “a wise and dedicated politician” who spent his life serving the people of AJK, according to a statement carried by Radio Pakistan and reported by Dawn. President Asif Ali Zardari extended condolences and prayed for “forgiveness and a high place in heaven,” describing his national and political services as “invaluable.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called Chaudhry “a staunch advocate for the Kashmiri cause.” Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani hailed him as a “dignified and principled politician” whose work on Kashmir at the international level would be remembered. National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq praised his contributions to “highlighting the Kashmir cause at international forums.”
At the Mirpur funeral, mourners included AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, PPP AJK President Chaudhry Yasin, PML-N AJK President Shah Ghulam Qadir, Supreme Court Chief Justice Raja Akram Saeed, senior Pakistan Army officers, and lawmakers, the Express Tribune reported. The national flag was presented to his son and Physical Planning and Housing Minister Yasir Sultan Chaudhry after the burial.
What is still uncertain
The PPP statement did not specify the illness; medical details have not been released. AJK authorities have not yet announced who will perform the president’s duties during the three-day mourning period, and no date has been set for the election of a successor.
Sources & reporting notes
This article is a synthesis of published reporting, not eyewitness reporting. Sources were reviewed on 31 January 2026.
- Dawn — "AJK President Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry passes away at 71"31 January 2026 · Primary report of death; condolence statements from PM Shehbaz, President Zardari, DPM Dar, Senate Chairman Gillani, and NA Speaker Sadiq.
- The Express Tribune — "AJK President Sultan Mahmood laid to rest with state, military honours"1 February 2026 · Mirpur datelined independent account of state funeral, gun-carriage honour, and attendance by AJK PM, SC chief justice, and senior army officers.
