J&K Legislative Assembly Pays Homage to Former Governor, Legislators

Srinagar, Oct 23: The Autumn Session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly began on Thursday with “Obituary References,” where tributes were paid to former Governor Satya Pal Malik, former minister Gulchain Singh Charak, and several ex-legislators who passed away since the last session.

Addressing the House, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather remembered the contributions of the late Governor, ministers, and legislators including Dina Nath Bhagat, Ghulam Nabi Shaheen, Ramesh Arora, and Sardar Mohammad Akhlaq Khan. He praised their commitment towards the development and welfare of Jammu and Kashmir.

Rather urged legislators to make use of the limited time available to express their condolences and share memories of the departed leaders.

During the session, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, Minister Javed Ahmed Rana, and several MLAs including Dr Bashir Ahmad Veeri, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Rafiq Ahmad Naik, Mubarak Gul, Salman Ali Sagar, M.Y. Tarigami, Sajad Gani Lone, and others paid heartfelt homage.

Members recalled the late leaders’ dedication to public service and their role in strengthening democratic institutions in the region. The House also observed a two-minute silence in their memory.

A brief ruckus occurred during the session when NC MLA Dr Bashir Ahmad Veeri described the tenure of former Governor Satya Pal Malik as “controversial.”