Srinagar, October 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday administered the oath of office and secrecy to four new ministers in Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s government, expanding the Council of Ministers with the induction of senior National Conference (NC) leaders.
The new ministers are Ali Muhammad Sagar, MLA from Khanyar in Srinagar; Shameema Firdous, MLA from Habba Kadal; Mir Saifullah, who represents Trehgam in Kupwara district; and Altaf Ahmad Wani, popularly known as Altaf Kaloo, MLA from Pahalgam in Anantnag district. All four belong to the ruling National Conference.
Sagar, a senior party leader, has won the Assembly elections seven times, while Firdous has been elected twice from Habba Kadal.
With the latest expansion, the J&K Council of Ministers has a strength of nine, including the Chief Minister. The constitutional framework following the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, limits the size of the ministry to 10 per cent of the Assembly’s total strength of 90 members.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Chaudhary and ministers Sakina Itoo, Javed Rana and Javaid Ahmad Dar have been retained in the government.
The induction follows consultations involving Omar Abdullah and NC president Farooq Abdullah. According to party sources, the expansion is intended to strengthen governance, improve public access to the administration and ensure that people’s grievances are addressed more promptly.
The swearing-in ceremony took place at the Lok Bhawan auditorium in the Chashma Shahi area of Srinagar.
Omar Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah, ministers, Chief Minister’s Adviser Nasir Aslam Wani, senior NC leader and MLA Mubarak Gul, civil and police officials, and other prominent citizens attended the ceremony.
The induction brings additional senior party representatives into the government as it seeks to strengthen its administrative outreach across Jammu and Kashmir.
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