SRINAGAR: Newly inducted Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet Minister Mir Saifullah on Tuesday said he would work to fulfil the expectations of the National Conference leadership and address public grievances, describing his elevation to the Council of Ministers as the fulfilment of a long-standing ambition.
Speaking to reporters after taking oath at Lok Bhawan in Srinagar, the National Conference MLA from Trehgam thanked Allah and the party leadership for placing their confidence in him.
Saifullah said he would strive to justify the trust reposed in him and contribute to the development of Jammu and Kashmir while strengthening the party.
Asked about the portfolio assigned to him, he said the allocation had not yet been communicated to him. He added that he would discharge his responsibilities sincerely, irrespective of the department entrusted to him by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
The minister said the Cabinet expansion was intended to help the government respond to people’s difficulties and grievances. He said he would work towards meeting public needs and making development across all sectors a priority.
Saifullah declined to comment on reports of discontent among party leaders who were not included in the Cabinet expansion.
Four National Conference legislators — Ali Mohammad Sagar, Shameema Firdous, Mir Saifullah and Altaf Ahmad Kalloo — were inducted into the Omar Abdullah-led government during Tuesday’s swearing-in ceremony at Lok Bhawan.
A lawyer by profession, Saifullah is a veteran National Conference leader. He won the Trehgam Assembly seat in Kupwara district in the 2024 elections. He had previously represented the Kupwara constituency in 1996, 2002 and 2008.
