Rich tributes were paid to iconic freedom leader, Syed Ali Geelani on his first martyrdom anniversary on Thursday across Line of Control (LoC) and world over.
However, in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), strict restrictions were imposed, particularly at the grave of the deceased leader to stop people from visiting the place and offering Fateha.
The veteran leader had breathed his last at 10:30 p.m. on September 1 last year (2021). His body was forcibly taken away by the occupation forces and buried at 4:30 a.m. on September 2, even before the relatives living outside Srinagar could have arrived. Only close relatives and neighbors were allowed to participate in the funeral at a local graveyard in Hyderpora area that was completely sealed. The family was denied to bury him at the Martyrs’ Graveyard in accordance with his will.
Even after the passage of one year, Kashmiris were not allowed to visit his grave on his martyrdom anniversary, clearly indicating the fear India has been experiencing that if it allowed Kashmiris to go on grave, it would be beginning of another uprising.
Hurriyat leader Yasin Malik’s wife Mushaal Hussein Mullick said in her twitter message that the grave of the martyred leader was made sub-jail. “India is trembling, India is weakened. History will witness the sacrifices that Syed Ali Geelani gave for nation, for Islam and for humanity,” she said while saluting the martyr.
Meanwhile, Senior All Parties Hurriyat Conference Leader, Shamim Shawl while paying rich tributes to SA Geelani tweeted that the late leader was kept under continued house arrest for over a decade by Indian forces but they failed to snatch the thought of freedom and resistance from him.
The Pakistan Strategic Forum in its message on the martyrdom anniversary paid rich tributes to Geelani for his epic struggle and resistance against the illegal Indian occupation.
In a tweet, the forum said Geelani throughout his life championed the right to self-determination of Kashmiris and advocated the settlement of the Kashmir dispute in line with the United Nations resolutions and the Kashmiris’ aspirations.
Meanwhile, APHC leader Imtiaz Wani in his twitter message said that late Gilani
had correctly predicted about Indian plans to settle non-locals from mainland India in IIOJK. “Syed Ali Gilani had foretold that Hindus would never accept Muslims as an entity in India & a majority in IIOJK.,” he tweeted while paying tributes to the great leader.
In Islamabad, the APHC Azad Jammu and Kashmir chapter took out a rally from National Press Club to Blue Area to pay homage to the iconic freedom leader. It was participated by political, religious and social figures. The participants carried banners with pictures of their beloved martyred leader and raised slogans in favor of Kashmiri martyrs and against illegal Indian occupation.
It is pertinent to mention here that the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) had given a call for a complete shutdown across the occupied region and had asked people to march towards grave of SA Gilani in Hyderpora, Srinagar to pay tribute to the iconic leader.
President Dr. Arif Alvi on Thursday said that martyred Kashmir Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Gilani was and will remain an icon of the Kashmiri struggle for self-determination.
“His unwavering commitment to the cause of freedom and justice will be a clarion call for Azadi for generations to come,” the President said in a message on the occasion of first death anniversary of Syed Ali Gilani.
He said, “Pakistan joins the Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) in paying tribute to iconic Kashmiri Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Gilani on the first anniversary of his martyrdom, today.”
“We pay rich tribute to the noble soul and the true hero, now immortalized as an abiding symbol of courage and fortitude in the face of brutal oppression and unspeakable adversity,” he added.
The President said that Syed Ali Gilani’s unflinching commitment to the Kashmir cause, in the face of persistent persecution and tremendous personal hardship, was unparalleled.
“He will be remembered for his unconditional love for Kashmir and Pakistan and his legacy would continue to inspire those carrying his mission forward to bring an end to the illegal Indian occupation of the Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
“His epic resistance and fight against the worst Indian oppression and
atrocities, and his lifelong struggle for the right to self-determination,
according to the United Nations Security Council’s Resolutions and the
aspirations of the Kashmiri people, would continue to inspire the
generations of Kashmiris,” the President maintained.
The Director General of Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar has said Hurriyat Leader Syed Ali Geelani’s lifelong struggle for right to self-determination as per aspirations of Kashmiri people and UN resolutions shall always inspire generations to come.
In a tweet on Thursday, he said Pakistani nation pays tribute to the brave Kashmiri leader for his epic resistance and fight against worst Indian oppression and atrocities in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
