Ex-minister, former bureaucrats join Congress

An ex-minister and several former bureaucrats were among over 300 people who joined the Congress party in Kashmir Valley today.
"Several prominent political leaders joined the Congress and declared they will work towards making the party more vibrant," a Congress spokesman said in a statement here.
They included Ghulam Hassan Geelani (a former minister, Farooq Renzu (former Director of the Information Department), Tafazul Hussain (former vice-president of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank), Wali Mohammad Dar (a retired Superintendent Engineer) and Sheikh G M Gulzar (a retired officer of the Rural Development Department).
Bashir Ahmad Shah (a sarpanch), Ghulam Hassan Rather (a political leader) and Abdul Rashid Malla (former chairman of the Baramulla Municipal Committee) also joined the party-fold, the spokesman said.

As many as 300 youth activists from different parts of the valley were also inducted into the party at a function here.
JKPCC president Saifuddin Soz welcomed them into the party.
Soz claimed many more people wanted to join the party, saying another function would be organised soon to welcome them into the party-fold.