Mubarak Gul Sworn in as Pro-tem Speaker of J&K Assembly

After a long political hiatus, assembly elections were held in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The region had been under President's Rule since 2018 following the collapse of the BJP-PDP coalition government and the abrogation of Article 370, which removed the state's special status, dividing it into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Protests and unrest followed these events, keeping the region under central governance.

With the situation stabilizing, recent assembly elections were conducted, resulting in the National Conference party winning 42 of the 90 seats. Supported by Congress and the AAP, the party formed the government, with Omar Abdullah sworn in as Chief Minister. Alongside him, several ministers have taken charge, and the Assembly is set to convene soon.

In preparation for the Assembly’s inaugural session, Mubarak Gul, a senior leader of the National Conference, was sworn in as Pro-tem Speaker at the Raj Bhavan in Srinagar. The oath was administered by Jammu and Kashmir Governor Manoj Sinha. Gul will oversee the swearing-in of the newly elected members and the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker. Meanwhile, Omar Abdullah's cabinet recently passed a resolution calling for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood.