Bandipora, Nov. 16 -- Suhail Rather

Bandipora on Sunday mourned the death of one of its most respected elders, Haji Mustafa, the town's first Patwari and a key figure in implementing the master plan that rebuilt Bandipora after the devastating fire of the 1960s.

He passed away at the age of 94 after a brief illness.

For many in Bandipora, Haji Mustafa was not just a government official but a central figure in the town's modern history.

When the massive fire of 1963-64 reduced Bandipora market and residential clusters to ashes, he became one of the key hands behind the reconstruction.

Under the master plan drafted by the then Prime Minister of J&K, Bakshi Ghulam Muhammad, he worked on the ground to execute the new layout, assist displ...