Daijiworld Media Network - Srinagar
Srinagar, Jul 14: Senior National Conference (NC) leader and former Jammu and Kashmir minister Sheikh Mustafa Kamal passed away on Tuesday in Srinagar after a prolonged illness. He was 83.
Kamal breathed his last at Paras Hospital, where he had been undergoing treatment. His death marks the end of a long political career spanning several decades in Jammu and Kashmir.
The son of National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, Mustafa Kamal was the younger brother of NC president Farooq Abdullah and the uncle of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Born into one of Kashmir's most prominent political families, Kamal completed his MBBS degree from Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Medical College in Jaipur in 1962 before entering public life.
He served as a minister in successive Jammu and Kashmir governments formed in 1983, 1987 and 1996. He was a member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly from 1987 to 2002, having earlier served in the Legislative Council between 1983 and 1987.
Despite his political lineage, Kamal was widely regarded as a humble and approachable leader who maintained close contact with the people. A lifelong bachelor, he dedicated much of his life to public service and the National Conference.
He spent considerable time at his residence in the Shadimarg forest area near Tangmarg and was known for personally assisting residents with official matters. He frequently accompanied people to government offices and helped patients secure appointments with leading doctors both within and outside Jammu and Kashmir.
He is expected to be laid to rest at the Abdullah family's ancestral graveyard in Soura on the outskirts of Srinagar.
Following the news of his demise, leaders from across the political spectrum and thousands of people expressed their condolences to Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and other members of the bereaved family, remembering Mustafa Kamal for his simplicity, public service and decades-long contribution to the state's political life.