Third JK CM to die in harness

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 7

Seventynine-year-old Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who breathed his last this morning at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, is the third Chief Minister of the state who died in office.

Ghulam Mohammad Sadiq, last Prime Minister and first Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, died in office on December 12, 1971, while the Indo-Pak war was on. Sayed Mir Qasim became the Chief Minister of the state after the death of Sadiq.

Although Sayeed Mir Qasim remained the Chief Minister till February 25, 1975, yet after Sadiq’s death the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had opened “channel of communications” with Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. Qasim had stepped down after the signing of the Indira-Sheikh Accord paving way for Sheikh Abdullah to become the Chief Minister. On February 24, 1975, the accord was signed on behalf of Sheikh Abdullah by Mirza Mohammad Afzal Beg and on behalf of the Indian Government by G Parthasarathy.

Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah was the second Chief Minister of J&K to die in office. Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, who earned the title of Sher-e-Kashmir, was the towering political personality of Kashmir who died on September 8, 1982. His unprecedented funeral was attended by the then President Gaini Zail Singh and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Dr Farooq Abdullah, son of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, become Chief Minister.

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is the third Chief Minister of J&K who died while in office.