Overview

• Syed Mushtaq Bukhari, 75, a two-time MLA from Surankote, died of a heart attack at his residence in Poonch.
• Bukhari was instrumental in obtaining Scheduled Tribe status for the Pahari community in Jammu and Kashmir.
• He left the National Conference after 40 years and joined the BJP in February 2024.
• Bukhari's death has been widely mourned by political leaders across parties, including BJP, PDP, and NC.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah had recently campaigned for Bukhari ahead of the second phase of the J&K elections.