Mehbooba's brother Tassaduq takes oath as Minister, gets Tourism portfolio

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's brother Tassaduq Hussain Mufti was sworn in on Thursday as a Minister in the PDP-BJP coalition government and given the important portfolio of Tourism.

The other Minister sworn in on Thursday, Javaid Mustafa Mir has been allotted relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction and floriculture portfolio.

Abdul Rehman Veeri, state Revenue Minister, has been given additional charge of Hajj and Auqaf department.

Hajj and Auqaf portfolio had fallen vacant after Farooq Andrabi, who held independent charge of the portfolio, resigned from the state council of Ministers to pave way for Tassaduq's induction.

Earlier, Governor N.N. Vohra administered the oath of office to Tassaduq Mufti and Javaid Mustafa Mir at the Raj Bhawan's lawn here. Both were sworn in as cabinet ministers.

Tassaduq Mufti, 45, is a trained cinematographer, who earned critical acclaim for his camera work in the Vishal Bhardwaj directorial "Omkara".

When his father, former Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed passed away on January 7, 2016, Tassaduq came back to support his mother and sister.

He was earlier in-charge of the Chief Minister's Grievance Cell. Prior to his nomination as a member of the upper house of the state's bicameral legislature, Tassaduq Mufti resigned as head of the cell.

Mir, senior PDP leader and MLA from Chadoora constituency in Badgam district, earlier also served as a cabinet minister in 2015 under the senior Mufti.

He was dropped when Mehbooba Mufti took over the Chief Minister in April 2016.

The Tourism and Culture portfolio was earlier with Mehbooba.

--IANS

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