Sakina Itoo

Itoo was born to Wali Mohammad Itoo, speaker of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on 5 December 1970 in Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir.^[4] She did her intermediate from the Jammu and Kashmir State Board of School Education in 1991.^[5] Later, she started her MBBS practice, professional degree in medicine, but left midway amidst her father's killing in 1994 and subsequently entered politics.^[4]

During her political career, Itoo served as a minister in several departments such as deputy minister for Education in 1996, state minister for Social Welfare, and Public Works.^[4] Later, she was appointed a minister of Tourism and served the department until 2002.^[6] In 2002, she lost an assembly constituency election^[7] and was later nominated as a member of Legislative Council by the party in 2004.^[6]

During 2014 assembly election campaign, a heavily circulated video clip showed her ordering an old man to vote for her in the name of Allah.^[8][9] The video was reported as a violation of the Model Code of Conduct to the Election Commission of India by the opposition party. Omar Abdullah and the National Conference defended Itoo.^[10][11] However, she lost again in 2014 against Abdul Majid Padder of PDP, who later joined the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party.^[12]

In 2024 assembly elections, Sakeena won from the Damhal Hanjipora assembly constituency and defeated Gulzar Ahmad Dar of PDP by a margin of 17,449 votes.^[12] On 16 October 2024, she was sworn in as the minister in the second cabinet of Omar Abdullah.^[13] On 18 October 2024, following an order issued by lieutenant governor Sinha to allocate portfolios to council of ministers on the advice of chief minister, Sakeena was given the charge of Health and Medical Education, School Education, Higher Education, and Social Welfare.^[14]