In second ‘flogging’, Peer Hussain’s son sacked as AAG; terms it ‘pol vendetta’

SAHIL RASGOTRA

JAMMU, MARCH 17 : A day after he welcomed the sacking of former finance minister Haseeb Drabu from the state cabinet while warning the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti of ‘coterie of political sycophants’ surrounding her, senior PDP leader and former minister Peer Mohammad Hussain’s own son was sacked as Additional Advocate General.

The state government on Friday disengaged Hashim Hussain from his services as Additional Advocate General, Srinagar, a day after his father advised Mehbooba Mufti of taking strong action against ‘coterie of political sycophants’ who were surrounding her, and who he alleged had given rise to the corruption.

Senior Hussain had made these comments on Thursday, in a party function at his house in Shangus South Kashmir, in which he had welcomed sacking of Haseeb Drabu as the finance minister.

“The sacking of Drabu is not enough. More such steps need to be taken to revive the PDP at grass roots,” he was reported to have said on Thursday in the party function.

On Friday, a government order came as the second flogging to Peer Hussain.

“The services of Hashim Hussain, Additional Advocate General Srinagar are dispensed forthwith,” read the official order issued by the secretary to J&K government, Abdul Majid Bhat vide number 1626-LD(A) of 2018.

“The Learned Advocate General shall look after the litigation work of departments earlier assigned to Hashim Hussain till further orders,” it added.

Hashim was appointed as an additional advocate general in 2016 along with dozens of other lawyers who were related to political leaders and ministers of both PDP and the BJP.

Reacting to the news, Peer Hussain minced no words terming the disengagement of his son from his services as ‘revengeful act’.

“The decision to disengage my son from his services was the fallout of the yesterday’s party meeting,” he said talking to a newspaper.

“I am founding member of the party and have faced a lot of hardships due to affiliation with PDP. I didn’t speak against the party, nor did I say anything bad about my party, still political coterie managed ouster of my son,’’ he said.

Maintaining that his family had made a lot of sacrifices for the party, Hussain said that these orders will not deter him from speaking the truth within the party.

“I joined the party when PDP didn’t even have candidates for elections. I am founding member of the party and will always try to speak facts,’’ he said.

“The step justify that the CM revolves many sycophants. I am unable to understand that why was my son disengaged from his services,” he said.

It may be recalled here that Peer Hussain was, until a few months ago, the vice-chairman of the all powerful Jammu and Kashmir Board for Muslim Specified Waqfs.

On November 8, last year, Hussain, a close aide of former Chief Minister, late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, had resigned from his post but with tight lips.

Though Hussain had claimed back then that he is resigning due to some personal reasons, PDP sources had asserted that there were some internal issues.

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who is also the Chairman of the Waqf Board, had been insisting on him to resign as she was not happy with the slow pace of different developmental works being executed by the board under Peer Hussain, particularly the construction and renovation works at famous Hazratbal Shrine, they had said.

It may be mentioned here that Peer Hussain was closely associated to first family of PDP and is among one of the blood relatives of the chief minister.

Peer Hussain was elected to the lower house of the J&K legislature in 2002 when Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was the Chief Minister and enjoys a good rapport with Muftis' family. In March 2015, he was made the Vice-Chairman of the Waqf Board.

Meanwhile, PDP’s spokesman, Rafi Mir feigned ignorance over Hashim Hussain’s sacking and said that the decision must have been taken by the government.

“Maybe government must not have required his services now,” Rafi said, asserting that disengagement has nothing to do with the statement of the PDP leader.

Updated On 3/17/2018 10:59:28 AM