Three-time legislator and ex-PDP leader Javed Mustafa Mir joins Faesal's JKPM

Former IAS officer Shah Faesal's newly-floated Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement (JKPM) received a shot in the arm on Wednesday as three-time legislator and former PDP leader Javed Mustafa Mir joined the party.

Mir joined the JKPM along with dozens of his workers at a function here and was welcomed into the party fold by Faesal.

A former revenue minister, Mir, who represented the Chadoora assembly constituency in central Kashmir's Budgam district for three successive terms from 2002, had resigned from the PDP in January this year.

Faesal described Mir as a "famous political personality" who has been active in public life for over 20 years.

"We all know how he would go to any extent for the benefit his constituency, but no one has so far questioned his integrity, his honesty and his character even as after remaining active in public life for over 20 years and was an MLA and a minister. This is what motivated us to approach him," he said.

The bureaucrat-turned-politician said the JKPM will benefit in its mission from Mir's guidance.

Mir said his equation and chemistry "goes very well" with Faesal.

"This is a people's movement, your movement, and brings in new politics, which is totally different from the traditional one," he said.

Mir was inducted as revenue minister in the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed-led PDP-BJP government in 2015.

However, he was dropped from the cabinet when Mehbooba Mufti assumed office in April 2016 after her father's death.

This led to the growing differences between Mir and the party leadership. He has been critical of the PDP's role in the coalition government ever since.

Mir was inducted into the cabinet again in December 2017.

However, he left the party in January this year, following footsteps of several party leaders who revolted against Mehbooba's leadership after the BJP withdrew support to the party in Jammu and Kashmir in June last year.