Kashmiris pay tribute to Syed Ali Shah Geelani as ‘Baba-e-Hurriyat Day’ observed

MUZAFFARABAD/ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday, paying tributes to ‘Baba-e-Hurriyat’ Syed Ali Shah Geelani, said Syed Ali Geelani personified the very essence of Kashmiris’ struggle.

“Frail in body but firm in resolve, he powered the resistance movement with belief in the idea of freedom from the Indian yoke. Geelani sahib remains as relevant to the freedom struggle today as he was in life,” the PM said.

The first martyrdom day of Shaheed Syed Ali Shah Geelani was observed as the “Baba-e-Hurriyat Day” was organised by the Pasban-e-Hurriyat Jammu Kashmir (PHJK) on Thursday.A large public rally was organised at the Burhan Wani Shaheed Chowk to pay homage to the veteran Kashmiri leader, in which the children, youngsters and women participated in large numbers. Later on, the participants carrying the placards inscribed with the words of Shaheed Syed Ali Geelani marched from the Burhan Wani Chowk to Gharipan Chowk, raising slogans for the freedom from the Indian illegal occupation.

Delivering speeches on the occasion, the Kashmiri leaders said ‘Baba-e-Hurriyat’ fought for the freedom of the people of Jammu and Kashmir from the Indian illegal occupation. They maintained that the Kashmiris will always remember the sacrifices rendered by their veteran leader and will continue his mission.

They said ‘Baba-e-Hurriyat’ was always steadfast as a great pioneer of resistance against the Indian military’s illegal occupation, however, India’s imperialist tactics had failed to discourage him, adding that he was imprisoned for 16 years and later 12 years under strict detention but he did not surrender to India.

The Kashmiri leaders further said Syed Ali Shah Geelani was a true lover and fearless spokesperson of Islam as well as Kashmir. “People of Kashmir pay homage to him and pledge that the resistance against the Indian illegal occupation will continue till they get freedom,” they added.

Former AJK PM Raja Farooq Haider, Minister Khawaja Farooq Ahmed, Chairman Pasban-e-Hurriyat Uzair Ahmad Ghazali, Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi, Dawood Khan, Latif Abbasi, Yousuf Butt, Mushtaq-ul-Islam, Raja Sajjad Latif, Shaukat Javed Mir, Javed Ahmed Mughal, Muhammad Azam Ghazi, Abdur Razzaq Khan, Raja Nisar Ahmed Shaiq, Raja Sajeed Khan, Muhammad Amir, Usman Ali Hashim, Yasir Naqvi and Bilal Ahmed Farooqui addressed the rally. While other leaders, including Shamsher Khan, Mushtaq Ahmed Butt, Majid Ahmed Sheikh, Iqbal Awan, Chaudhry Mushtaq, Iqbal Yaseen, Chaudhry Feroz Din, Ali Muhammad Butt, Abdul Hameed Lone, Sardar Javed and Nishad Ahmed Butt were also present.

Meanwhile, Chairman Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and veteran politician Prof Khurshid Ahmad also commemorated ‘Baba-e-Hurriyat’ during his memorial reference, titled “Syed Ali Shah Geelani: His Struggle & Legacy,” organised by the IPS in collaboration with the Legal Forum for Kashmir (LFK).

He said ‘Baba-e-Hurriyat’ had struggled throughout his career for the rights of Kashmiris, adding that the veteran leader was an epitome of the nation’s struggle and resistance, whose passion, ideology, and vision about Kashmir were matchless.

The session was addressed, among others, by Raja Zafar-ul-Haq, Professor Dr Muhammad Kaleem Abbasi, vice chancellor AJ&K University, Dr Asma Shakir Khawaja, executive director Centre for International Strategic Studies Muzaffarabad, Sheikh Abdul Mateen, general secretary All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), ambassador (retd) Syed Abrar Hussain, IPS’ vice-chairman and senior research fellows moderated the event.

Khurshid Ahmad, while paying tributes to Geelani’s persistence, courage, and resistance in the face of Indian atrocities and its illegal occupation, underscored the vision of ‘Baba-e-Hurriyat’ that the central issue, for which he dedicated and sacrificed his life, is the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination and a free plebiscite, without which the Kashmir dispute cannot be resolved.

He pointed out that the bad governance is the root cause of many problems, adding that in such an environment, the struggle for justice is not easy.