The Kashmir Pulse

SRINAGAR — Senior National Conference leader and Eidgah MLA Mubarak Gul on Wednesday deferred his much-anticipated press conference amid growing discontent over his exclusion from the Omar Abdullah-led Cabinet and uncertainty over his position in the party organisation.

Gul, while speaking to reporters, thanked people from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir for expressing solidarity with him and visiting his residence. He said people from Jammu, Kathua, Udhampur, Baramulla, Kupwara, Anantnag, Pulwama and various areas of Srinagar had extended their support.

The veteran leader also thanked print and electronic media for highlighting the developments, saying people had stood by him for the past 55 years. However, Gul declined to comment on his reported differences with the party leadership, saying he would not reveal anything on Wednesday and had decided to defer the press conference.

Gul's decision comes against the backdrop of the recent Cabinet expansion, in which several senior National Conference legislators, including him, were left out of the council of ministers.

The veteran MLA had earlier expressed disappointment over not being considered for a ministerial position despite his long association with the party and political experience.

Following the Cabinet expansion on October 27, NC president Farooq Abdullah appointed Gul as the party's General Secretary after Ali Mohammad Sagar's induction into the Cabinet. However, in an order issued on October 30, the party directed Sagar to continue as General Secretary till further orders, creating uncertainty over Gul's organisational role.

Gul had earlier announced that he would address the developments within the party at a press conference on November 4. His decision to defer the interaction has further fuelled speculation over his future course of action.

SRINAGAR — Union Health Minister JP Nadda will likely inaugurate the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Awantipora in south Kashmir's Pulwama district on Thursday at 10 am, as per the news agency KNS.

‎Sources said preparations for the inauguration ceremony have been made, with the Union Health Minister scheduled to formally inaugurate the healthcare institution on November 5.

‎The AIIMS Awantipora project, sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), has been developed at a revised estimated cost of over Rs 2,160 crore.

‎The institute, planned as a 750-bed tertiary healthcare facility, is expected to strengthen specialised medical services, medical education and research infrastructure in Kashmir.

‎The project has faced repeated delays since its approval, with construction and infrastructure development being reviewed at different levels by the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir administration.

‎Once fully operational, the institute is expected to reduce the burden on existing tertiary care hospitals in Srinagar and provide advanced healthcare facilities to patients from south Kashmir and other parts of the Valley.

‎Sources said the inauguration would mark a significant step towards making the institution functional, while the commissioning of individual departments and specialised services would depend on their operational readiness.

‎The detailed programme and the range of medical services to be made available immediately after the inauguration were not officially specified.

SRINAGAR — The Altaf Bukhari-led Apni Party is reportedly heading towards a major internal political crisis, with at least eight to nine prominent leaders said to be preparing to resign from the party, sources told the news agency KNT.

The reported dissent has assumed significance ahead of a crucial meeting scheduled for Thursday at the Apni Party headquarters in Church Lane, Srinagar, where party president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari is also expected to be present.

According to sources familiar with the developments, the meeting could prove decisive for the political future of the leaders contemplating their exit from the party.

Although the agenda of the meeting remains unclear, sources said the leaders concerned would take a final call on whether to continue in the Apni Party or part ways after the deliberations.

The possible departure of such a number of prominent leaders could pose a significant challenge to the party's organisational strength and trigger fresh political realignments in Jammu and Kashmir.