Veteran National Conference Leader Mustafa Kamal Dies at 83

Dr. Mustafa Kamal, a veteran leader of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference and former minister, died Tuesday evening, July 14, 2026, at Paras Hospital in Srinagar. He was 83 years old.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Dr. Kamal's nephew, announced the passing on X, noting that while his uncle had been unwell for several months, his condition took a turn for the worse four days prior to his death. Dr. Kamal, a physician by training, had a long political career representing the Gulmarg constituency. He served in the Legislative Council from 1983 to 1987 and the Legislative Assembly from 1987 to 2002, holding cabinet positions in 1983, 1987, and 1996.

The Jammu & Kashmir National Conference described his death as an irreparable loss, praising his decades of public service and commitment to the party's ideals. Tributes were issued by several high-ranking officials, including Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, and Democratic Progressive Azad Party chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad. Dr. Kamal was the son of National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and the brother of party patron Farooq Abdullah. He is expected to be buried at the Sheikh family ancestral graveyard in the Soura area of Srinagar.