Syed Ali Shah Geelani, one of the most prominent and widely respected Kashmiri leaders in the region’s modern history, passed away Wednesday night at his home in Srinagar, the capital of Indian controlled Kashmir.
The 92-year-old leader was not just a fearless political leader but was also known for his deep love for Pakistan and unflinching belief in Jammu and Kashmir becoming a part of Pakistan. He had a scholarly knowledge of religion, culture, and languages, and also authored several books.
A longtime challenger of Indian ham-fisted rule in the disputed Himalayan territory, Geelani had been under house arrest for the past 11 years with failing health, yet his words carried a powerful influence.
Geelani led the All Parties Hurriyat Conference during turbulent times when the people of Kashmir mounted an uprising against the Indian state repression in the disputed territory.
The Kashmiri leader began campaigning for the territory’s merger with Pakistan in the 1960s. Indians were averse to his powerful arguments and called him a separatist.
He spent ten years in jail and wrote a memoir of his times. Rūdād-i qafas, published in 1993, and followed it up with Navā-yi ḥurriyyat in 1994.
In 2010, he was along with famed writer Arundhati Roy faced sedition charges.
Geelani remained a member of the Jamaat-i-Islami, which was banned by India.
Pakistan has announced to observe mourning in honor of Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s lifelong commitment to the cause of Kashmiris’ right to freedom as pledged by the United Nations in several resolutions.
Image: From Prime Minister Imran Khan’s FB post
Prime Minister Imran Khan said he was “deeply saddened” to learn about Geelani’s death.
Recalling his courageous struggle, the premier said Geelani had struggled all his life for his people and their right to self-determination.
“He suffered incarceration and torture by the occupying Indian state but remained resolute.”
New Delhi considered Geelani a threat to the Indian state as it believes that Kashmir is an integral part of India and its future could not be negotiated.
“The Pakistan flag will fly at half-mast and we will observe a day of official mourning,” the premier announced.
President Dr. Arif Alvi had last year conferred Nishan-i-Pakistan, the country’s highest civil award, on Geelani in recognition of his decades-old struggle for Kashmiris’ right to self-determination.
Terming Geelani the “torchbearer of the Kashmir freedom movement”, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan mourned the veteran leader’s death. “[Geelani] fought for the rights of Kashmiris till the very end, under house arrest of Indian occupation. May he rest in peace and may his dream of freedom come true,” he tweeted.
The former chief minister of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, also expressed sadness at Geelani’s passing. “We may not have agreed on most things but I respect him for his steadfastness & standing by his beliefs,” she said.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Indian troops have been deployed and media reports said a curfew would be imposed and internet services cut.
In Srinagar, reports said, armored vehicles and trucks patrolled main roads and Police asked people to stay off the streets.
