Mehbooba Mufti Alleges 25,000 Irregular Appointments In J&K, Says NC Government Sold Jobs Through Outsourcing Agencies

Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday accused the National Conference-led government in Jammu and Kashmir of orchestrating nearly 25,000 irregular appointments within 25 months, alleging that jobs were handed out without advertisements or interviews.

Mufti, a former chief minister, told reporters, “These were not ordinary posts but vacancies across government departments. I have orders, but I won’t reveal identities for their protection.”

She claimed that ministers, MLAs, and alliance partners were given lists of candidates, which were then processed through nearly 200 outsourcing agencies.

Meanwhile, she alleged that candidates were asked to pay between 2 to 3 lakh rupees for these appointments. “For some time, a website remained open where candidates filled forms. Once submitted, the site would close. This was a managed process,” she said.

However, Mufti insisted that the BJP’s silence indicated complicity. “I think the BJP also has a share, that is why they are not raising any hue and cry,” she added, demanding an immediate halt to such practices and accountability from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

“We studied, prepared, and waited for fair recruitment. If jobs are sold, what hope is left for ordinary youth?” a local said, adding, “Outsourcing agencies became a marketplace for jobs. This is betrayal."

Mufti further alleged that departmental officials acted as conduits, passing lists from MLAs to agencies. “There is one Ramzan sahib, one Ayush sahib, I don’t want to disclose their designations, but they facilitated these recruitments,” she claimed.

On the issue of Kashmiri Pandit resettlement, Mufti welcomed their return but cautioned against divisive narratives. “Some lobbies want to weaponize their pain. Pandits should isolate them and look towards the future. About 99 per cent of those killed in J&K are Muslims, only one per cent were our Pandit brothers,” she said.