Altaf Bukhari Explained

Altaf Bukhari
Birth Date:19 February 1958
Birth Place:Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
Occupation:Politician, Businessperson
Nationality:Indian
Party:Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party(2020-Present)
People's Democratic Party(until 2020)
Office1:President of Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party
Term Start1:2020
Predecessor1:Position established
Office2:Member of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly
Constituency2:Amira Kadal
Term Start2:2015
Term End2:2018
Office3:Minister for Roads and Buildings of Jammu and Kashmir
Term Start3:2015
Term End3:2016
Office4:Minister for Floriculture, Gardens and Parks
Term Start4:2015
Term End4:2016
Office5:Minister for Education of Jammu and Kashmir
Term Start5:4 April 2016
Term End5:June 2018
Office6:Minister for Labour and Employment of Jammu and Kashmir
Term Start6:March 2018
Term End6:June 2018
Office7:Minister for Finance of Jammu and Kashmir
Term Start7:4 April 2016
Term End7:19 June 2018

Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari is an Indian politician hailing from Jammu and Kashmir. He is the president of the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, a political organization, which he launched in 2020.[1] He served as the Member of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly from 2015 to 2018, representing the Amira Kadal Assembly constituency. He served as the education minister of Jammu and Kashmir[2] and later assumed the additional responsibility of the Finance, Labour and Employment ministry.[3] [4]

Early life and education

He holds a Bachelor's degree in Agricultural science from Government Agriculture College in Wadura-Sopore, obtained in 1980 through Kashmir University.[5] His father, Syed Mohammad Iqbal Bukhari, was a noted businessman and the founder of FIL Industries.[6]

Career

In 2014, Altaf Bukhari won the assembly election from the Amira Kadal Assembly constituency, representing the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party. Subsequently, in 2015, Altaf Bukhari was appointed as Roads and Buildings Minister[7] in the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed-led PDP-BJP coalition. He also served as the Minister for Floriculture, Gardens and Parks in the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed ministry.[8] However, upon Sayeed's demise in 2016, Bukhari was not included in the cabinet when Mehbooba Mufti assumed office.[9]

In February 2017, Bukhari was appointed as the minister for Education in the government.[2] Later, in March 2018, he was assigned the additional responsibility of the Finance Ministry,[3] the Ministry of Labour and Employment in the state government.[4]

When the BJP-PDP coalition government dissolved in June 2018, Altaf Bukhari emerged as a consensus candidate for Chief Minister, backed by the PDP, the Congress, and the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference in November 2018.[10] [11]

He formed his own party called Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party on 8 March 2020,[12] nearly a year after being expelled from the PDP.[13]

He has been granted Z+ level security, which is the highest level of security provided by the Indian government.[14] [15]

Business

His family runs FIL Industries Limited, a conglomerate with interests in agriculture, food and beverages, tourism, hospitality, and mountain infrastructure development. He also previously served as the CEO of FIL Industries.[16] The company was established by his father.[6] Initially, Altaf Bukhari took over the pesticide business and expanded its operations across different parts of the country. Notably, FIL Industries Limited is the only private entity collaborating with German partners in the processing of apples.[17]

He is credited with introducing controlled atmosphere storage (CAS) in Kashmir and providing assistance to the Container Corporation of India in establishing a 12,000-tonne CAS facility in Haryana.[18] [17]

Alliance to Hurriyat Party

Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party President Altaf Bukhari in talks with Hurriyat leaders to join party. The J&K Apni Party (JKAP) has opened channels of communication with a senior separatist leader, associated with the Hurriyat, to join the party in Srinagar. Earlier, an officer bearer associated with Hurriyat leader Masroor Abbas Ansari, who heads the Jammu & Kashmir Ittihadul Muslimeen, joined the JKAP.Mr. Ansari, taking a strong note of the development, said: Maulana Masroor Ansari Tweeted.[19] An emergency meeting of the core committee of the Jammu and Kashmir Ittehad Muslimeen was held under the chairmanship of Maulana Masroor Abbas Ansari, the president of the organization, in which using the powers given to the president in the constitution, the organization's Majlis-e-Administrator Working Committee) was dissolved and a new one was formed. An ad-hoc committee consisting of only 5 members was constituted till the election of the working committee and office-bearers. In this emergency meeting, the resignation of General Secretary Syed Muzaffar Rizvi was also approved.[20]

Other engagements

Notes and References

  1. News: Altaf Bukhari again elected as president of Apni Party . . March 11, 2023.
  2. News: Mehbooba reshuffles cabinet, appoints Altaf Bukhari as education minister . . February 17, 2017.
  3. News: Jammu and Kashmir education minister Syed Mohammed Altaf Bukhari given additional charge of finance . . March 13, 2018.
  4. News: Education Minister Altaf Bukhari gets additional charge of Finance, Labour and Employment depts . . March 14, 2018.
  5. News: Mukherjee . Saurav . Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari is PDP-NC-Congress CM Face: All You Need to Know About J&K Leader . LatestLY . November 21, 2018.
  6. News: Hussain . Masood . A Tycoon’s Death . . November 25, 2021.
  7. News: Wani . Riyaz . Altaf Bukhari and the business of politics . . March 20, 2020.
  8. News: Comprehensive plan for beautification of gardens in Valley . . April 5, 2015.
  9. News: Ex-minister Syed Altaf Bukhari inducted into Mehbooba Cabinet . . February 17, 2017.
  10. News: Who is Altaf Bukhari, PDP-Congress-NC’s Likely J&K CM Candidate? . . November 21, 2018.
  11. News: Altaf Bukhari is 'consensus' J&K CM candidate as Congress, PDP, NC join hands to thwart Sajjad Lone . . November 21, 2018.
  12. Web site: Former PDP leader Altaf Bukhari launches 'Apni party'. 8 March 2020. The Times of India. en. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210628115648/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/altaf-bukhari-launches-jammu-and-kashmir-apni-party-31-leaders-from-pdp-nc-congress-to-join-in/articleshow/74536418.cms . 28 June 2021 . 2020-03-08.
  13. News: Ehsan . Mir . Former J-K minister Altaf Bukhari expelled from PDP for ‘anti-party activity’ . . January 19, 2019.
  14. News: Masood . Bashaarat . Z+ to J&K Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari, and decoding the language of security . . April 7, 2023.
  15. News: Ehsan . Mir . Nothing new, have been Z+ protectee since 2015: Altaf Bukhari on security upgrade . . April 5, 2023.
  16. News: Irfan . Shams . Long Live The Apple Cart . . December 26, 2011.
  17. News: Wani . Riyaz . Altaf Bukhari and the business of politics . . March 20, 2020.
  18. News: ‘I pray to God to give me the stature of Bakshi Sahib’ . . February 26, 2020.
  19. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/jk-apni-party-in-talks-with-hurriyat-leaders-to-join-party-sources/article67299453.ece/amp/
  20. https://www.deccanherald.com/india/jammu-and-kashmir/apni-party-appoints-former-separatist-leader-as-vice-president-2683414
  21. News: Masood . Bashaarat . Akhzer . Adil . Sharma . Arun . At helm of new J&K outfit, one of Valley’s richest politicians; in ranks, leaders with links across parties . . March 9, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200309122354/http://indianexpress.com/article/india/jammu-and-kashmir-politics-apni-party-launched-altaf-bukhari-members-6305846/ . 9 March 2020 . 22 June 2023 . live .
  22. News: Bukhari's Apni Party: Delhi's Arm or Remains of PDP? . NewsClick . March 9, 2020.