Sakina Itoo, whose father was killed by terrorists, is sole woman minister in Omar Abdullah's J&K cabinet

Sakina Masood (Itoo) is one of the five National Conference leaders and the only woman who took oath as a minister in the Omar Abdullah cabinet in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, October 16.

Besides Sakina Itoo, Javed Dar, Javed Rana, Surinder Choudhary, and Satish Sharma also took the oath of office.

While Sakina Itoo and Javed Dar are from the Kashmir valley, Javed Rana, Surinder Choudhary and Satish Sharma are from the Jammu region.

The Congress said it will not join the council of ministers for the moment.

Who is Sakina Masood (Itoo)?

1. In the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir assembly election, Sakina Itoo, a prominent politician from Jammu and Kashmir, associated with the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) party, secured victory from the DH Pora assembly segment in South Kashmir's Kulgam district.
2. She was polled 36,623 votes, achieving an impressive victory margin of 17,449 votes over her nearest rival, Gulzar Ahmed Dar of the Peoples Democratic Party.
3. She has held various significant positions in the region's political landscape.
4. Sakina Itoo comes from a well-known political family; her father, Wali Mohammad Itoo, was a senior NC leader and former speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly, who was assassinated by militants in the 1990s.
5. Following in her father's footsteps, Sakina Itoo became a key figure in the NC and has been active in politics for several decades.
6. She has served as a member of the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly, representing the Noorabad constituency.
7. During her political career, Sakina Itoo has held several ministerial portfolios, including serving as the minister for social welfare.
8. Sakina Itoo is one of the few prominent women leaders in Jammu and Kashmir's political landscape and has been recognised for her efforts to address issues related to social welfare, women’s empowerment, and rural development.