Srinagar- Mohammad Shafi Pandit, the first Muslim IAS officer from Jammu and Kashmir, passed away on Thursday. He was 80.
Pandit was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Delhi after he was detected with cancer about a month ago, his family said.
Pandit was the first Muslim from Jammu and Kashmir to qualify the civil services examinations in 1969. His final assignment with the government was as the head of autonomous Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission.
In bureaucratic circles, Pandit was widely viewed as a chief secretary that Jammu and Kashmir never had.
The soft-spoken Pandit was part of many civil society and philanthropic initiatives in Kashmir. He also played a key role in rolling out the Mandal Commission report as he was the joint secretary in the Government of India in 1992.
Pandit’s body was flown to Srinagar later in the day and he was laid to rest at Gogjibagh at 9:30 pm.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid tribute to Mohammad Shafi Pandit and said, “I have come to know Kashmir’s pride and first (Muslim) IAS officer Mohammad Shafi Pandit has passed away. He was working for the benefit of society even after retirement. In this hour of grief, we are with his family.”
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Thursday expressed grief over the demise of former IAS officer, Mohammad Shafi Pandit.
In a message LG said, “Saddened by the demise of Shri Mohammad Shafi Pandit ji. He had an illustrious career as a bureaucrat and served with distinction.He will be remembered for his significant contributions to public service and civil society. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and admirers in this hour of grief”.
Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo also condoled his demise.
In his condolence message, Dulloo remembered Pandit as a very passionate officer who has been there to extend his advice and guidance whenever he was accessed for the same. He termed him a problem solver who had optimum solution for every problem at hand.
He called him a very compassionate officer who was precursor in starting government sponsored coaching classes for civil service aspirants. He made out that he chiselled the career of many youngsters by encouraging them to join the civil services and would be remembered by them for his mentorship for all times to come.
Dulloo further remembered that he met him a couple of times and raised different issues of public importance. He called him a philanthropist par excellence who had changed the lives of many for better.
Later the gathering observed 2 minutes of silence and prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul.
MS Pandit, an IAS officer of 1969 batch was among the pioneers of erstwhile J&K Cadre. He was a veteran bureaucrat who held various important positions in the State as well as Centre including the Additional Chief Secretary, Finance and later the Chairman J&K Public Service Commission (JKPSC) towards the end of his career.
All senior officers participated in this condolence meeting and prayed for the peace of the departed soul. They also showed their sympathy for the family and also prayed for their patience to bear this irreparable loss.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
