Mehbooba Mufti (born 22 May 1959) is an Indian politician from Kashmir and the president of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). She was the ninth and last Chief Minister of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, from April 2016 to June 2018, and the first woman to hold the office. She is the daughter of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who was twice Chief Minister and India’s Home Minister.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Mehbooba Mufti Sayeed |
| Born | 22 May 1959, Akhran Nowpora, Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir, India |
| Age | 67 |
| Party | Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (president) |
| Office | Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir (2016–2018) |
| Education | University of Kashmir (LL.B.) |
| Father | Mufti Mohammad Sayeed |
| Children | 2 daughters (Iltija and Irtiqa) |
Early Life
Mehbooba was born in Anantnag district and took a degree in English literature and then law from the University of Kashmir. She worked for a bank and an airline in Delhi for some years. In 1989 her younger sister Rubaiya was kidnapped by militants days after their father became Home Minister, and was freed in exchange for jailed militants.
Political Career
She won the Bijbehara assembly seat for the Congress in 1996. In 1999 she and her father founded the PDP. She built its base by visiting the homes of Kashmiris killed in the conflict, including those of militants, a “healing touch” approach that won the party support in south Kashmir. She was elected to the Lok Sabha from Anantnag in 2004 and 2014.
The PDP formed a coalition with the BJP in 2015 under her father. After his death in January 2016 she hesitated for almost three months before taking office on 4 April 2016. The killing of the militant commander Burhan Wani that July set off months of protests in which scores of people died. The BJP withdrew from the coalition on 19 June 2018, and she resigned.
When the central government revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on 5 August 2019 she was detained, later under the Public Safety Act, and released in October 2020. She joined other regional parties in the Gupkar alliance to demand restoration of the state’s status. She lost the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat in 2024, and in that year’s assembly election the PDP won only three seats; Omar Abdullah‘s National Conference formed the government.
Personal Life
Her marriage to Javed Iqbal Shah ended in divorce. Her daughter Iltija Mufti has entered politics.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Mehbooba Mufti born?
Mehbooba Mufti was born on 22 May 1959 in Akhran Nowpora, Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir, India and is 67 years old.
Featured image: Mehbooba Mufti, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at a press conference, Srinagar, 25 August 2016. Photo by Ministry of Home Affairs, licensed under Government Open Data License – India, via Wikimedia Commons.
