Syed Farooq Andrabi resigns, decks cleared for J&K CM’s brother

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir’s minister of state for Haj and Auquaf, Syed Farooq Andrabi, on Thursday resigned from the council of ministers headed by his niece chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti, citing “personal reasons”.

He submitted his resignation letter to Ms Mufti who in turn has forwarded it to governor, N.N. Vohra, reportedly with a recommendation that it may be accepted. Mr Andrabi is an uncle of the CM and represents Dooru constituency in southern Anantnag in the state Assembly.

His quitting comes in the backdrop of reports that the CM’s brother Tassaduq Hussain Mufti is likely to be made a minister after he becomes a member of the J&K legislative council.  

The PDP-BJP government had on Friday recommended Mr Mufti’s name for being nominated as a member of the council to the governor after the state cabinet, by way of circulation, gave its nod to the same.

However, the governor is reported to have sought answers to certain questions from the government before accepting the recommendation including whether the outcome of a writ petition filed in the high court challenging the such nominations made in 2015 would have any implication on the nomination of Mr Mufti.

46-year-old Mr Mufti, a former Bollywood cinematographer of Omkara fame, had on Thursday resigned from the post of Co-ordinator J&K CM’s Grievance Cell in the run up to his probable induction into the council of minister led by his sister Mehbooba Mufti. He  joined the PDP on January 7 this year to “bring peace and prosperity” and ensure “common people and VIPs walk together.”

He said, “I am joining PDP not because being the son of late Mufti Sahib but only after I’m convinced and inspired by the amount of work the PDP has done for Jammu and Kashmir and its people.”