Srinagar: In the face of controversy surrounding the appointment of National Conference leader Nasir Aslam Wani as Advisor to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the latter’s office has clarified that the appointment was affected trough a proper government order.
The clarification comes after sections of the media reported that Wani’s appointment had either not been finalized or lacked legal sanction, creating a flurry of political speculations here, particularly across the social media circles.
The CM’s office described the claims as misleading, asserting that Wani has in fact already been appointed through a “formal government order”. The only matter pending is the finalization of the terms and conditions of his appointment, which has been delayed by procedural bottlenecks.
The CM’s office, however, underlined that the absence of these formalities has not prevented Wani from contributing to the functioning of the Chief Minister’s office and the governance of Jammu and Kashmir.
Notably, multiple reports had suggested that Wani’s file was yet to receive clearance from the Lieutenant Governor’s office and that he was neither drawing a salary nor entitled to official accommodation or staff.
These claims created confusion in political circles and fueled opposition criticism that Omar Abdullah had “prematurely announced a political appointment to reward a close confidant who lost his seat in the assembly elections”.
Nasir Aslam Wani, popularly known as Nasir Sogami, is a former legislator from Amirakadal constituency. He first entered the Assembly in 2008 and subsequently served as Minister of State in Omar Abdullah’s cabinet, handling portfolios of Tourism, Housing and Urban Development, Revenue and Relief, and even the sensitive Home Department.
He lost the 2014 Assembly elections from Amirakadal to Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari of the then PDP and faced another setback in 2024 when he contested from Kupwara and was defeated by PDP’s Fayaz Ahmad Mir by a margin of nearly 10,000 votes.
Despite these electoral defeats, Wani has remained a key figure within the National Conference. His proximity to Omar Abdullah and his role in managing the party’s organizational affairs in the Valley have only strengthened his standing within the party’s top brass.
For this reason, many observers believe his appointment as Advisor to the Chief Minister is less about administrative procedures and more about consolidating political loyalty at a time when the NC is seeking to balance governance responsibilities with party-building in a competitive political landscape. (KNT)
