Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari's father Syed Mohammad Iqbal Bukhari passes away

SRINAGAR: Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari's father Syed Mohammad Iqbal Bukhari passed away here on Sunday, family sources said.

He was 89.

Bukhari, the chairman of FIL Industries, passed away after a brief spell of illness at SKIMS hospital, Soura, they said.

Bukhari's funeral prayers will be held at Ladoora in Rafiabad area of north Kashmir's Baramulla Sunday evening.

Bukhari, a prominent businessman, was believed to have been close to PDP founder and former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.

He played an important role in bringing down the Farooq Abdullah-led National Conference (NC) government in 1984.

His son Altaf Bukhari entered into the political fray by joining the PDP and was elected as an MLA from Amira Kadal in 2014.

He became a minister in the PDP-BJP government.

He then floated Apni Party last year.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed condolences over Bukhari's demise.

"My deepest condolences to Shri Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari Sahib on the sad demise of his father Shri Syed Mohammad Iqbal Bukhari. In this time of grief, I pray to the Almighty to bestow strength upon the family to bear this irreparable loss," he said on Twitter.

Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference president Sajad Gani Lone also condoled Bukhari's demise.

He prayed for peace to the departed soul and strength to his loved ones in this hour of loss and grief.

"Heartfelt condolences on the passing away of Syed Iqbal sahib, father of Mr Altaf Bukhari. I knew Iqbal sahib as a dear friend of my late father. May Allah grant him Jannat," Lone said in his condolence message.