Dr. Mustafa Kamal, the Abdullah who rooted for J&K’s pre-1953 position, dies in Srinagar

Dr. Sheikh Mustafa Kamal, 84, the Abdullah who rooted for J&K’s pre-1953 position, passed away after a brief spell of illness on Tuesday in Srinagar. He was the younger brother of National Conference (NC) president Dr. Farooq Abdullah and uncle of J&K Chief MInister Omar Abdullah.    

A spokesman of National Conference (NC) announced about the death of Kamal, who was being treated in a private hospital in Srinagar. “Uncle Mustafa had been unwell for some months but took a turn for the worse four days ago. He put up a brave fight holding on against the odds. The doctors and staff treating him were amazing but Allah called him for his final journey. May Allah grant uncle Mustafa the highest place in Jannat,” said Mr. Abdullah, in a post on X.

Kamal was among the few voices in the NC which rooted for the return of the pre-1953 position to Jammu and Kashmir and would blame the Congress for embroiling the Kashmir issue by arresting his father and party founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah”in 1953 and termed it as “black day”. 

Srinagar: Family members and mourners carry the mortal remains of senior National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir minister Sheikh Mustafa Kamal during his funeral, in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (PTI Photo)(PTI07_14_2026_000417B)
| Photo Credit:
S IRFAN

Within the party, Kamal pitched for the restoration of the pre-1953 position as “the only remedy within the constitutional framework to end the decades of uncertainty and mayhem” in J&K. He blamed the 1989 militant uprising in Jammu and Kashmir on New Delhi’s “unilaterally and unconstitutionally erosion of the special status of J&K” since 1953. 

“The Delhi Agreement of 1952 and Article 370 of the Constitution based on the Instrument of Accession of Late Maharaja Hari Singh was basis of J&K’s relationship with the Centre. But slowly titles like Sadr-e-Riyasat and Wazir Azam were removed,” he said, in one of his interviews. He described the pre-1953 position as one where “except communication, external affairs and defence, all rights would be with the people of Kashmir”. 

With Kamal’s demise, the ardent voice within the Abdullahs fades too. In his early life, Kamal served as a general physician in north Kashmir’s Tangmarg area, an area where his mother hailed from, and also served as minister on two occasions. Later, he served as additional general secretary of the NC. The old school politician, Kamal also raked up many controversies with his fiery and bold statements. He miffed the Army with his frequent opposition to the Armed Forces Special Forces Act (AFSPA) in J&K.

Kamal’s remarks ‘Asteen Ka Saanp’ against Congress’ Makhan Lal Fotedar forced the NC distance itself from it. During Kamal’s tenure as the NC spokesman, the relation with the coalition partner Congress grew tenuous as he attacked Rahul Gandhi too in 2012, which forced the NC to drop him as the party spokesman.

“Dr. Kamal Sahib devoted decades of his life to public service and to strengthening the ideals and legacy of the NC. His passing is an irreparable loss not only to the NC family but also to the people of J&K, who will always remember his contributions with gratitude and respect,” said a NC spokesman.

J&K regional parties also condoled the death of the widely-respected politician, including the Opposition Peoples Democratic Party. Kashmir chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said he was “saddened to hear about the death of the veteran politician”. “My deepest condolences to Dr. Farooq Abdullah Sahib, Omar Abdullah Sahib, and all members of the bereaved family,” he added.