Who Is Sakina Itoo? Sole Woman Minister In Omar Abdullah's J&K Cabinet

Sakina Itoo was sworn in as a minister in the Omar Abdullah cabinet of Jammu and Kashmir on October 16. Among the five leaders from the National Conference (NC) party joining the cabinet, she stands out as the sole woman. Sakina comes from a prominent political family; her father held the position of speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly before he was tragically assassinated by militants in the 1990s.

Who is Sakina Itoo? Sole Woman Minister In Omar Abdullah's J&K Cabinet

The oath ceremony for the chief minister, Omar Abdullah and his council of ministers took place at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar. Alongside Sakina Itoo, the ceremony also saw Javed Dar, Javed Rana, Surinder Choudhary, and Satish Sharma taking their oaths of office.

#BreakingNow: जम्मू-कश्मीर के श्रीनगर में शपथग्रहण समारोह..

👉सकीना इटू ने भी मंत्री पद की शपथ ली@AnchorAnurag #JammuKashmir #Srinagar #SakinaItoo #OathCeremony pic.twitter.com/1F7ssJbldA

— Times Now Navbharat (@TNNavbharat) October 16, 2024

Sakina Itoo is a significant political figure in Jammu and Kashmir, representing the National Conference (NC) party. She recently made headlines by winning the DH Pora assembly seat in the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, where she secured a remarkable 36,623 votes. Her victory margin was impressive, with a difference of 17,449 votes over her closest opponent, Gulzar Ahmed Dar from the Peoples Democratic Party.

Thank you to every voter who placed their trust in me – this victory is yours! Grateful for your support and belief in our vision. Congratulations to my incredible colleagues at @JKNC_ , and to those who didn’t make it this time, your dedication and hard work made us all stronger pic.twitter.com/VpCOwGE7Ir

— Sakina Itoo (@sakinaitoo) October 8, 2024

Sakina comes from a prominent political family. Her father, Wali Mohammad Itoo, was a senior leader in the NC and served as the speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly before his tragic assassination by militants in the 1990s. Following her father’s legacy, Sakina has been a dedicated political activist for many years. She has previously held several important roles, including serving as a member of the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly, representing the Noorabad constituency.

Throughout her political career, Sakina has also held various ministerial positions, notably as the minister for social welfare. She has worked tirelessly to address pressing issues, focusing on social welfare, women’s empowerment, and rural development. Her efforts have made her one of the few prominent women leaders in the political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir, earning her recognition for her dedication to improving the lives of people in her region.