Mushtaq Ahmad Lone

Lone was elected to the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly in the 1987 elections, representing the Kupwara constituency.^[3] The 1987 elections were reportedly manipulated, which led to significant accusations of electoral fraud.^[6]

On 11 September 2002, Lone, the minister of Law in the Jammu and Kashmir government, was assassinated by suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba, then a guerrilla organisation,^[7][8] during an election rally in Kupwara.^[9][10] The attack, which occurred as Lone addressed the gathering in a school building, was part of a broader wave of insurgent activity reportedly aimed at disrupting the 2002 state elections. Militants opened fire from a nearby paddy field, killing Lone, his five security officers, and a civilian.^[11] Lone was the second candidate to be killed during the campaign.^[12]