MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry passed away on Saturday after a prolonged illness, family sources confirmed. He was 71.
The news of his death triggered deep grief across Azad Kashmir, Pakistan and among Kashmiris around the world, with political leaders and citizens paying tribute to his lifelong services and steadfast advocacy for the Kashmir cause.
According to family members, Barrister Sultan Mahmood had been undergoing medical treatment in Islamabad. He was suffering from liver cancer. His funeral prayers will be offered on Sunday (today) at 4pm in his ancestral hometown of Chechian, Mirpur, after which he will be laid to rest.
Barrister Sultan Mahmood was widely regarded as a strong and vocal proponent of the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination, raising the issue at both national and international forums. Born on August 9, 1955, he pursued a long political career spanning several decades.
He was elected as prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir in 1996 and later assumed office as president of AJK in 2021, serving in key constitutional roles during critical phases of the region’s political development.
Leaders from across the political spectrum have expressed condolences, acknowledging his contributions to Azad Kashmir’s political landscape and his efforts to keep the Kashmir issue alive on the global stage.
APP adds: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Saturday expressed deep sorrow and grief over the death of Barrister Sultan Mahmood, in their separate messages. They prayed to Allah Almighty to grant the deceased a high place in Paradise.
The president also expressed his condolences to the bereaved family, while describing the national and political services of the late leader as valuable.
