Mufti Mohammad Sayeed (Kashmiri: मुफ़्ती मुहम्मद सईद (Devanagari), مفتی محمد سید (Nastaleeq)) (born January 12, 1936) is a politician from the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India. He was the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir from November 2, 2002, to November 2, 2005. He founded the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party, in July 1999 to "persuade the Government of India to initiate an unconditional dialogue with Kashmiris for resolution of the Kashmir problem."[1]
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Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had been a member of the Indian National Congress party until 1987.[2] He is said to have brought about the downfall of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference government, which was led by Farooq Abdullah, in 1984.[2] In 1987, he quit the Congress party to join V. P. Singh's Jan Morcha, which led to his becoming the first Muslim Minister for Home Affairs in the Union Cabinet of India in 1989.[3]
He rejoined the Congress under P V Narasimha Rao which he left in 1999 along with daughter Mehbooba Mufti to form his own party, Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party.
In 1989, within few days of taking office as the Union Minister for Home Affairs, his third daughter Rubaiya was kidnapped by terrorists.[4] She was released in exchange for the release of five militants.[3][4] This started a trend later resulting in the release of more terrorists in exchange for hostages.
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has survived several attacks on his life by Kashmiri separatists who oppose Indian rule.[4]
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed participated in the 2002 assembly election and won 18 assembly seats for his People's Democratic Party. He went on to form a coalition government with the Indian National Congress, and was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir for a term of three years.[5]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by President's Rule |
Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir November 2, 2002 – November 2, 2005 |
Succeeded by Ghulam Nabi Azad |