Mehbooba's daughter expects mother to improve things in Jammu and Kashmir

Srinagar: With her mother Mehbooba Mufti taking oath as the first chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Irtiqa Iqbal on Monday said she expects the former to fulfill promises made to the people. "I think it is a historic moment for the state. We are seeing a woman coming to the forefront. For the first time, we have a woman chief minister, and I think, that means a lot to me and to the women in the state. My expectation as a citizen of the state is that she is going to make things better and fulfill the promises that she made to the people," Iqbal told media here. She said Mehbooba Mufti's main priority will be Kashmir now. "I think she can make a difference as she has been in this for two decades now. She has worked at the grass root level. There should be transparency in the government. The challenge right now is the state of affairs, proving things and the gap that she has to fulfill," she added. Mehbooba Mufti, chief of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), took oath of office this morning, succeeding her father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed who died on January 7 this year. 22 ministers took oath along with Mehbooba, including those from the BJP. Elections held in the state in December 2014 gave no party a majority in the 87 member J and K assembly. The PDP, with 28 seats and the BJP with 25 had formed the state government after weeks of hard bargaining.