Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, Minister for Works.Photo: The Hindu Archives
Chief Minister Dr. M. Channa Reddy greeting the Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed before meeting on naxalism on August 10, 1990.Photo: The Hindu Archives
Mr. Ramakrishna Hegde, Chief Minister of Karnataka, (second from left) who inaugurated the Himachal Pradesh Cultural Festival in Banbgalore on January 29, 1987 and Union Minister for Tourism, Mr. Mufti Mohammed Sayeed (left) swaying to the music and hoined hands with dancers of Himachal Pradesh.PHOTO: THE HINDU ARCHIVES
Union Tourism Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed along with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao at Golconda Fort on the night when the A.P. Tourism department hosted a 'Chawti' dinner in former's honour.PHOTO: STUDIO MILAP
Stint as Tourism Minister: In 1986, he was appointed as the Union Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Prime Minister V.P. Singh with his Deputy Devi Lal, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and Chandrashekhar outside the former's residence after the Janata Dal meeting of the Political Affairs Committee in New Delhi on March 03, 1990.Photo: UNI
Daughter's kidnapping: Sayeed’s stint in the Home Ministry, at a time when militancy had begun to rear its ugly head in his home state, would, however, be most remembered for the kidnapping of his third daughter Rubaiya by JKLF. The militants demanded freeing five of their comrades in exchange for Rubaiya’s freedom and let her off only after their demand had been met.
Founding of PDP: In 1998, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed won the Anantnag / Islamabad Lok Sabha seat, but soon resigned from both his position and the Congress party to launch a regional party Peoples Democratic Party in the state. PDP participated in 2002 assembly election and went on to form a coalition government with Indian National Congress. In 2002, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir for a term of three years.
Second stint as CM: Sayeed became the unanimous choice for Chief Minister when PDP and BJP reached an agreement to form a coalition government and took oath on March 1, 2015.