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Haseeb A Drabu (born 1961) is an Indian politician, economist and the former member of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly from Rajpora constituency in Pulwama district. He was elected as Finance Minister of Jammu and Kashmir in the BJP-PDP coalition government from 2015 to 2018.

He has worked as a lawmaker, policy planner, banker and an economic commentator.

Drabu is married to his second wife Roohi Nazki, a former Tata Interactive Systems executive who later returned to Srinagar to start a tea-house.

Political career

In 2014, Drabu joined the J&K Peoples Democratic Party (JKPDP) Later in the year, he contested elections and won with a huge margin the elections to the Legislative Assembly of J&K from Rajpora Constituency in Pulwana district. He continued to be a member of the Legislative Assembly of J&K till it was dissolved by the Governor on 21 November 2018. He was elected as Finance Minister of Jammu and Kashmir from 2015 to 2018.

In early 2015, J&K PDP founder & patron, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed chose Drabu as the interlocutor from his party to hammer out an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party. After three months of negotiations with BJP, Drabu along with Ram Madhav of the BJP scripted the basis of the BJP-PDP alliance to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir. Drabu was later elected as Finance Minister in the government. Soon after Drabu was sacked from the cabinet in March 2018 by Mehbooba Mufti over his controversial remarks about the state, he quit PDP in December 2018. Soon after his exit, the alliance broke and the BJP-PDP government in J&K fell.

While he was the finance minister of J&K, Jammu and Kashmir reached Rank 7 in fiscal management, leaving behind states like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. This is as per the Public Affairs Index (PAI) by the Public Affairs Centre India. When he took over it was ranked 24th in financial management.

He, further, as a state finance minister, was an active member of the GST council in its most crucial phase of formulating and introducing the new tax regime in India. It was his initiative that the historic meeting of the GST Council which approved the rate structure, was held at Srinagar; first time outside New Delhi.

As finance minister of J&K, he designed and negotiated a Rs 80,000 crore development package for J&K which was announced by the prime minister in May 2015. He also negotiated the first-ever FDI to set up a logistics hub in J&K. He introduced a new state budget structure and a new government payments system.

Other engagements

• In early 1990s, Drabu worked as a journalist with a business newspaper Business Standard, and was also seen close to Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front. He, in late 1990s, was involved with national economic policy making in India, including in the Planning Commission, Finance Commission and the Economic Advisory Council of the prime minister. He was also associated with the Tenth Finance Commission and also worked as a consultant to Asian Development Bank.
• After the 2002 state elections, a PDP-led coalition state government came to power in Jammu and Kashmir and it appointed Drabu as its economic advisor in January 2003.
• On 9 June 2005, Drabu was elected as the chairman and CEO of J&K Bank by the then Chief Minister Mufti Saeed however, on 28 August 2010, he quit the post after he was asked to resign by the then newly elected Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for his "closeness" to PDP politicians.

Current engagements

In February 2021, Drabu was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) and aviation service provider company Air Works as an independent director.

References

1. "He rarely came, never listened: villagers who elected Haseeb Drabu". The Indian Express. 14 March 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
2. "Ex-banker Haseeb Drabu takes over new Finance Minister of Jammu and Kashmir". DNA India. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
3. "Roohi Nazki, Wife of PDP Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu asks Govt to Step Down". SabrangIndia. 22 July 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
4. Bhat, Saima (10 July 2016). "A Brewing Success". Kashmir Life. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
5. "Economist Drabu joins PDP". Greater Kashmir. 14 March 2015. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
6. Wani, Riyaz. "A Radical Banks On His Integrity". old.tehelka.com. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
7. "PDP Candidate for Rajpora Dr Haseeb Drabu show victory sign after winning the Assembly". thehinduimages.com. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
8. Ashiq, Peerzada (21 November 2018). "Amid contrasting claims, J&K Governor dissolves Assembly". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
9. ^ "J&K: Mehbooba Mufti sacks minister Haseeb Drabu for saying Kashmir not a political issue". The Indian Express. 13 March 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
10. "BJP-PDP alliance in J&K: How two men worked out the deal and became friends". The Indian Express. 16 March 2015. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
11. "PDP kicks out 'BJP man' Haseeb Drabu: J&K finance minister an economist pivotal in bringing PDP, BJP together". Firstpost. 13 March 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
12. ^ "Who is Haseeb Drabu?". The Indian Express. 13 March 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
13. "J&K FM Haseeb Drabu sacked over controversial statement". Business Standard India. 12 March 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
14. "Former JK Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu quits PDP". The Indian Express. 6 December 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
15. "BJP-PDP fallout: Mehbooba erred in sacking Haseeb Drabu, says analyst as Mufti tries to keep flock together". Firstpost. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
16. "In fiscal management, J&K climbs from rank 24 to rank 7". Greater Kashmir. 24 July 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
17. Padmanabhan, Anil (18 May 2017). "Why the GST Council meet in Srinagar is important". Mint. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
18. "Cracked House". Kashmir Life. 22 March 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
19. "Modi announces Rs.80,000-crore package for Jammu and Kashmir". The Hindu. 7 November 2015. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
20. "Dr Drabu signs J&K's first ever FDI MoU in Dubai". Kashmir Life. 11 February 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
21. Rashid, Hakeem Irfan. "Haseeb Drabu's removal puts question mark on BJP-PDP ties ahead of 2019 polls". The Economic Times. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
22. ^ "J&K Bank Chairman Haseeb Drabu resigns". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 27 August 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
23. Pandit, M. Saleem (28 August 2010). "J&K Bank chairman quits after Omar asks him to go". The Times of India. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
24. "Haseeb Drabu formally joins Air Works as independent director". ETHRWorld.com. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
25. "Haseeb Drabu formally joins Air Works as independent director". Kashmir Reader. Press Trust of India. 16 February 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
26. Kundu, Rhik (31 August 2020). "Air Works appoint Haseeb A. Drabu as independent director". mint. Retrieved 21 May 2022.

• People from Pulwama district
• Living people
• Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party politicians
• Jammu and Kashmir MLAs 2014–2018
• State cabinet ministers of Jammu and Kashmir
• 1961 births