J&K’s first Muslim IAS officer Mohd Shafi Pandit passes away

Mohammad Shafi Pandit, the first Muslim IAS officer from Jammu and Kashmir, passed away on Thursday. He was 80.

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Former Srinagar Mayor Junaid Mattu said on Thursday, that his “beloved uncle, Former JKPSC Chairman and Additional Chief Secretary of J&K, Muhammad Shafi Pandit Sahab, passed away” in Delhi after “a very brief spell of illness.”

Pandit, a 1969 batch IAS officer, was among the pioneers of erstwhile J&K cadre, according to the J&K government. “He was a veteran bureaucrat who held various important positions in the state as well as Centre including the Additional Chief Secretary, Finance and later the Chairman, J&K Public Service Commission (JKPSC) towards the end of his career,” said a spokesperson.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who addressed a poll rally in Srinagar on Thursday, condoled his demise. He said Pandit served the society even after his retirement. “In this moment of grief, our prayers are with the bereaved family,” said the Prime Minister.

JK Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha also expressed grief over the demise of Pandit.

“Saddened by the demise of Shri Mohammad Shafi Pandit ji. He had an illustrious career as a bureaucrat and served with distinction. He will be remembered for his significant contributions to public service and civil society. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and admirers in this hour of grief,” Sinha said in a statement.

J&K Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo termed Pandit a “problem solver who had optimum solution for every problem at hand.”

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said Pandit was his “good friend of many years.”

“After retirement, he devoted himself to various public causes and emerged as a leading voice of civil society. Soft-spoken and extremely gentle by nature, he epitomised the glorious composite heritage of J&K and was a role model for youth from the Valley to join the civil services,” he said.