Ghulam Nabi Kochak

Ghulam Nabi Kochak (c. 1928 – 28 February 2010), also known as G. N. Kochak, was an Indian politician from Jammu and Kashmir who served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Sheikh Abdullah and Ghulam Mohammad Shah. A close associate of Sheikh Abdullah, he was associated with the All Jammu and Kashmir Plebiscite Front before joining mainstream politics. Kochak represented the Devsar constituency and was also vice-chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Auqaf Trust (now Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board).

Career

Kochak began his political career at an early age and was closely associated with the Plebiscite Front movement led by Sheikh Abdullah. During his involvement with the movement, he was imprisoned twice, from 1955 to 1959 and again from 1963 to 1965.

Following the Indira–Sheikh Accord and the return of Sheikh Abdullah to power in 1975, Kochak was inducted as a minister in the government of Jammu and Kashmir. He served in Sheikh Abdullah's administration from 1975 to 1982 and later continued as a minister under Farooq Abdullah until 1984.

Although regarded as a loyalist of Sheikh Abdullah, Kochak sided with Ghulam Mohammad Shah during the split in the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference in 1984. He subsequently became a minister in Shah's government and remained in office until the dismissal of the government in 1986 by the then-governor Jagmohan.

Kochak represented the Devsar constituency in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly from 1977 to 1983. He also served as vice-chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Auqaf Trust.

Kochak died of a heart attack on 28 February 2010 at the age of 81.