Islamabad, 01 September 2023(TDI): Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani expressed his honor to the legendary leader of the Kashmir freedom struggle Syed Ali Shah Geelani on his second death anniversary on Friday.
“He was a brave and steadfast leader. He inspired generations of Kashmiris in their struggle for the realization of their right to self-determination in accordance with the relevant UN Resolutions,” the foreign minister Jilani said.
In a statement, the Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch remembered the life and enduring legacy of Syed Ali Shah Geelani on the occasion of his second death anniversary.
“A courageous leader, he continues to inspire generations of Kashmiris who remain steadfast in their just struggle for the realization of the right to self-determination,” she added.
On the other hand, Caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar paid tribute to the Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Geelani for his life-long struggle for freedom and justice.
“My respects to iconic Kashmiri leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, on his second death anniversary, “Anwar ul Haq Kakar stated.
“In the face of persecution and hardship, his commitment to the Kashmir Cause was unparalleled. I pay homage to his life-long struggle for freedom and justice” he added.
Syed Ali Geelani was born in the year 1929 in the village of Zurimanj, situated in the Bandipora tehsil of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
His journey towards advocating Kashmir’s freedom commenced when he became a member of Jamaat-e-Islami in 1953.
Syed Ali Geelani was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly from the Sopore constituency three times, in 1972, 1977, and 1987, representing the Jamaat-e-Islami.
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In 1993, Syed Ali Geelani played a pivotal role as a co-founder of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and subsequently served as its chairman from 1998 to 2000. Later, in 2003, he established his faction and was elected as its lifetime chairman.
In 2004, he established Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, which rose to prominence within the APHC, with Geelani serving as its chairman until his resignation in March 2018, while retaining the chairmanship of his APHC faction until he departs from it in 2020.
Syed Ali Geelani spent over two decades in prison and endured more than 11 years of house arrest.
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He passed away on September 1, 2021, due to respiratory complications while under house arrest at his residence in Hyderpora, Srinagar.
On August 14, 2020, Pakistan honored Syed Ali Geelani with the Nishan-e-Pakistan, the highest civil award of the country, in acknowledgment of his decades-long dedication to the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination.
