2nd Ld Writethru: Condolences pour in over demise of Indian-controlled Kashmir Chief Minister

Condolences and tributes have poured in for Chief Minister of Indian-controlled Kashmir Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who breathed his last Thursday morning.

The President of India Pranab Mukherjee has condoled the passing away of Sayeed and said he would be remembered for his public service.

"Sayeed was a colleague of long years. He distinguished himself through remarkable political acumen and vision. In his passing away, we have lost an outstanding public figure who was always in touch with the grassroots of society," Mukherjee in his condolence message said.

Sayeed, 79 passed away Thursday at around 7:15 a.m. (local time) at India's premier health institute - All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.

He was admitted in AIIMS on Dec. 24 and since then was undergoing treatment.

"He was being treated for sepsis and decreased blood counts besides pneumonia," officials at AIIMS said. "His condition worsened, following which he was shifted to the intensive care unit of the hospital, where he was put on life support system."

The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh paid respects to Sayeed and laid floral wreaths on his coffin at Palam airport in New Delhi.

"Mufti Sahab's demise leaves a huge void in the nation and in Jammu and Kashmir, where his exemplary leadership had a major impact on people's lives," Modi in an official release said. "What stood out about Mufti Sahab was his statesmanship. In his long political journey he won many admirers across the political spectrum. Mufti Sahab provided a healing touch to Jammu and Kashmir through his leadership. He will be missed by all of us."

Sayeed was sworn in as chief minister of restive Indian-controlled Kashmir for second time last year for a tenure of six years and was heading a coalition government with rightwing Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) .

Earlier, he took over as chief minister of region from 2002 -2005.

Sayeed is survived by his wife, three daughters and a son. His daughter Mehbooba Mufti, a parliamentarian is likely to succeed him as the chief minister of the restive region.

Sayeed was associated with Indian Congress party for a long time and in 1999 founded his own at regional level - Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Sayeed's body will flown to Srinagar, the region's summer capital, from where it will be taken to his ancestral town Bijbehara, where he will be laid to rest, a PDP legader said.

Congress party president Sonia Gandhi expressed grief over the death of Mufti.

"In his death, the state of Jammu and Kashmir as indeed the entire nation has lost a great leader," she said.

Sayeed has been advocating revival of talks with Pakistan to settle the dispute of Kashmir and had encouraging strengthening of trade and travel and people to people contact with Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir.

He was appointed India's first Muslim home minister in 1989. Militants abducted one of her daughters that year, who was later freed in exchange of five jailed militants.

Local government in Indian-controlled Kashmir has announced seven-day mourning as a mark of respect to Sayeed.

A separatist movement and guerilla war challenging New Delhi's rule is going on in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan is claimed by both in full. Since their independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir. Endit