PM, LG condole demise
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 19: 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’s body was flown to Srinagar in the afternoon and buried in the ancestral graveyard.
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 the 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 of the Mandal Commission report as he was the Joint Secretary in the Government of India in 1992.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Mohammad Shafi Pandit.
“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,” the Prime Minister said while addressing an election rally.
Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha has also expressed grief over the demise of former IAS officer.
“Saddened by the demise of 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”, LG said in a message.
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