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This is an archive article published on January 19, 2016

Mehbooba Mufti introduces brother to party, politics

Best known for his cinematography of Bollywood hit Omkara, Tassaduq has so far maintained that he wasn’t interested in politics.

Mehbooba Mufti with brother Tassaduq in Bijbehara. (source: PTI) Mehbooba Mufti with brother Tassaduq in Bijbehara. (source: PTI)

On Sunday, when PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti walked into the room of her Srinagar residence where she was to chair a meeting of her party’s core group, accompanying her was her younger brother, Tassaduq Hussain Mufti.

While many party leaders were surprised to see the cinematographer-son of former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, especially since he had so far maintained that he had no interest in politics, Mehbooba began the meeting by introducing her brother.

Sources present at the meeting told The Indian Express that Mehbooba, who could soon take over as Chief Minister, also indicated that her brother was interested in joining politics as “he wants to do something for Kashmir, especially on environmental issues”.

Watch Video: Mehbooba Introduces Her Brother To Party

“Mehboobaji introduced him to us in the meeting saying he wanted to know his father as a politician and leader, and the best way to know that is from his colleagues and party leaders. She said that’s why I invited him to this meeting,” sources said.

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There were enough indications, sources said, that if and when Mehbooba vacates her Lok Sabha seat — she is MP from Anantnag — to take over as Chief Minister, the person most likely to succeed her as PDP candidate from the constituency would be Tassaduq.

“Mehboobaji will contest the Assembly seat which has fallen vacant after the death of Mufti sahib. Tassaduq could be nominated by the party to contest from Anantnag. However, nothing is finalised yet,” a source present at the meeting said.

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Best known for his cinematography of Bollywood hit Omkara, Tassaduq has so far maintained that he wasn’t interested in politics.

At the meeting Sunday, PDP MPs, many former ministers and senior office-bearers authorised Mehbooba to take a final call on formation of the new government with the BJP.

However, with the party’s alliance with the BJP coming under fresh strain following Sayeed’s death and with many leaders within the party questioning the practicability of persisting with the alliance with the saffron party, Mehbooba is likely to take stock of the implementation so far of the Agenda of Alliance, a common minimum programme that was agreed to by the two parties before the formation of the government last year.

Sources said while there was “very little possibility” of the PDP demanding a major overhaul of the agenda, Mehbooba is likely to take stock of its implementation.

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“Despite honest efforts by the government under Mufti Sahib, the alliance government could not completely win the hearts of the people. Many leaders have felt that there were shortcomings in implementation of our common agenda. We will take stock of what went wrong and what needs to be done to ensure that the people are satisfied,” a PDP leader said.

Muzamil Jaleel is a Deputy Editor at The Indian Express and is widely recognized as one of India’s most authoritative voices on Jammu & Kashmir, national security, and internal affairs. With a career spanning over 30 years, he has provided definitive on-the-ground reportage from the heart of the Kashmir conflict, bearing witness to historic political transitions and constitutional shifts. Expertise and Investigative Depth Muzamil’s work is characterized by a rare combination of ground-level immersion and high-level constitutional analysis. His expertise includes: Conflict & Geopolitics: Decades of reporting on the evolution of the Kashmir conflict, the Indo-Pak peace process, and the socio-political dynamics of the Himalayan region. Constitutional Law: Deep-dive analysis of Article 370 and Article 35A, providing clarity on the legal and demographic implications of their abrogation in 2019. Human Rights & Accountability: A relentless investigator of state and non-state actors, uncovering systemic abuses including fake encounters and the custodial death of political workers. International War Reporting: Beyond South Asia, he provided on-the-spot coverage of the final, decisive phase of the Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009. Landmark Exposés & Impact Muzamil’s reporting has repeatedly forced institutional accountability and shaped national discourse: The Kashmir Sex Scandal (2006): His investigative series exposed a high-profile exploitation nexus involving top politicians, bureaucrats, and police officers, leading to the sacking and arrest of several senior officials. Fake Encounters: His reports blew the lid off cases where innocent civilians were passed off as "foreign terrorists" by security forces for gallantry awards. SIMI Investigations: He conducted a massive deep-dive into the arrests of SIMI members, using public records to show how innocuous religious gatherings were often labeled as incriminating activities by investigative agencies. The Amarnath Land Row: Provided critical context to the 2008 agitation that polarized the region and altered its political trajectory. Over the years, Muzamil has also covered 2002 Gujarat riots, Bhuj earthquake, assembly elections in Bihar for Indian Express. He has also reported the peace process in Northern Ireland, war in Sri Lanka and national elections in Pakistan for the paper. Awards and Fellowships His "Journalism of Courage" has been honored with the industry's most prestigious accolades: Four Ramnath Goenka Awards: Recognized for J&K Reportage (2007), On-the-Spot Reporting (2009), and Reporting on Politics and Government (2012, 2017). Kurt Schork Award: From Columbia University for international journalism. Sanskriti Award: For excellence in Indian journalism and literature. IFJ Tolerance Prize: For his empathetic and nuanced reporting in South Asia. International Fellowships: Served as a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley and worked with The Guardian, The Observer, and The Times in London. He has also received Chevening fellowship and a fellowship at the Institute of Social Studies, Hague, Netherlands. Professional Presence Current Location: New Delhi (formerly Bureau Chief, Srinagar). Education: Master’s in Journalism from Kashmir University. Social Media: Follow him for field insights and rigorous analysis on X (Twitter) @MuzamilJALEEL. ... Read More

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