Mehbooba Mufti allots finance ministry to Altaf Bukhari

JAMMU: A day after sacking Dr Haseeb Drabu from the Jammu and Kashmir cabinet over his controversial remarks on the ‘Kashmir situation’, chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday handed over the charge of the finance ministry to Altaf Ahmed Bukhari.
“As an interim measure… I… assign the charge of the departments of finance, labour and employment to Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari in addition to the government business already assigned to him,” an order issued by the CM’s office said.
Until now, Bukhari was heading the state education ministry, including the school and the higher education departments. He was the public works (road and buildings) minister during the tenure of former CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
Last week, Drabu, while addressing the PHD chamber of commerce and industry in New Delhi, had said that Kashmir was not a political, but social issue. “J&K is not at all a conflict state nor is it a political issue. It ought to be looked as a society-related issue from communities not only from within but also worldwide,” he had said.
Drabu’s remark triggered a controversy in the Valley, following which he was dropped from the state cabinet.