2 expelled PDP leaders join NC

A day after being expelled from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former ministers Basharat Bukhari and Peer Mohammad Hussain joined the National Conference here on Wednesday.

The two leaders were expelled by PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday on the recommendation of a disciplinary committee headed by party vice-president Abdul Rehman Veeri.

Bukhari and Hussain joined the National Conference at the simple function at party president Farooq Abdullah's residence, where vice-president Omar Abdullah was also present.

Bukhari, a two-time MLA from Sangrama, is the elder brother of slain journalist Shujaat Bukhari, who was shot dead along with two security officers by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists in June.

He was the law minister in the PDP-BJP coalition government, headed by the late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. He was made the revenue, relief and rehabilitation minister when the government was led by Mehbooba Mufti.

Hussain, a former MLA from Shangus constituency, was a minister during the PDP-Congress coalition government in 2002. He did not contest elections after 2002 and was appointed as the vice-chairman of the waqf board by the PDP-BJP government.