Index Page                                Archives

Azad sworn in as J-K's 10th Chief Minister
by Bilal Butt

     Srinagar: Ghulam Nabi Azad was today sworn in as the tenth Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. State Governor Lt. Gen (retd) SK Sinha administered the oath of office and secrecy to Azad at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Complex on the banks of Dal Lake this evening. Muzzaffar Hussain Baig, who was elected PDP legislature party leader, took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state. Earlier in the day, out-going Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed convened a meeting of the PDP to finalise the names of his party's nominees for inclusion in the ministry. Those present at the swearing in ceremony included Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, former Chief Ministers Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Farooq Abdullah and AICC general secretary in charge of Jammu and Kashmir, Ambika Soni. Prior to the oath taking ceremony, Srinagar's Nowgam area was rocked by a car bomb blast that killed six people, besides injuring 17others. The blast took place very near the private residence of Sayeed.

    Reacting to the blast, Azad said before his oath taking ceremony that "those responsible for terrorist attacks did not have the interest of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their minds, nor were they interested in peace." He also said that his primary aim as Chief Minister would be to promote peace and normalcy in the state Azad took over the office in keeping with the post-poll alliance between the Congress, PDP and the Panther's Party, according to which the PDP and the Congress was to share power for three years in the six year term assembly. PDP leader Mufti Mohammed Sayeed had headed the government for the first three years and was to relinquish power today. He however resigned from the post on Saturday Azad also became the first Congress leader in about 30 years to hold the office of Chief Minister in Jammu and Kashmir. Before Azad, the last Congress Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir was Mir Qasim who resigned in 1975 to pave way for Sheikh Abdullah under an accord with Indira Gandhi.