Pakistan, Kashmir honor legendary Syed Ali Gilani on first death anniversary

ISLAMABAD: Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and the world over are honoring the first martyrdom anniversary of their beloved leader Syed Ali Gilani, who died on September 1, 2021 while being under house arrest at his Srinagar residence.

There is no denying the fact that the iconic liberation leader has left behind a rich legacy of courageous resistance based on his deep insight into future, enlightening the path of freedom for the youth and the generations to come.

His commitment to the cause and steadfastness to follow the path of freedom, in addition to his ideological adherence to the Two-Nation Theory, had always been a hurdle for India to suppress the Kashmiris.

Even after his death, the occupation authorities did not allow his proper burial, as they perceived a martyred Gilani more dangerous than a living Gilani.

The veteran leader breathed his last at 10:30 p.m. on September 1 last year. 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.

The occupation authorities were afraid that his proper funeral would trigger a massive uprising at the time when India had already made the massive deployment of forces to suppress the Kashmiris following the revocation of Article 370 of its constitution in August 2019.

The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has given a call for a complete shutdown across the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK) on Thursday. Heeding the APHC’s call, the people from across the occupied territory will march towards his grave in Hyderpora, Srinagar to pay tribute to the iconic leader.

Of course, there is no substitute to Syed Ali Gilani, however, the Kashmiris are determined to follow his legacy and continue the mission of martyrs for the cause of freedom.

The visionary leader through his foresight guided the Kashmiris towards a path that heads towards a certain promising future, i.e., freedom from Indian subjugation.

He was crystal clear in his understanding that ‘slavery was worse than death’ so the people of Kashmir must struggle for freedom from Indian slavery, which would ultimately result in their freedom from India.

“He (Gilani) understood that slavery was harder than death and that is why he kept on insisting that if the Kashmiri people want to live, they have no option but to struggle (for freedom),”senior APHC leader Ghulam Muhammad Safi said.

Gilani considered Kashmir as a part of Pakistan and he had a logic and reasoning for that. He had a firm belief that in view their religion, civilization, culture, customs and thoughts, the Muslims were a complete separate nation, and that their unity was based on the concept of Muslim Ummah and not their homeland, race, language, color or economic system. It was the basis of his ideology of ‘Kashmir being a part of Pakistan’.

Throughout his life, he staunchly advocated for Kashmir’s merger with Pakistan. He not only vigorously pursued this ideology himself but also instilled spirit among the Kashmiris for its realization.

His slogan ‘Hum Pakistan hain, Pakistan hamara hai’ (We are Pakistanis and Pakistan is ours) created a sense among the people of Kashmir of their belonging to Pakistan. The slogan is even today resounding in every nook and cranny of the occupied territory.

Meanwhile, Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry paid rich tribute to late Syed Ali Geelani, saying he was a strong voice of Pakistan in Occupied Jammu Kashmir who categorically raised the slogan “Hum Pakistani hain, Pakistan Hamara hay.”

In his special message released on the occasion of the first anniversary of the renowned Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani, the President said: “Gilani Sahib was a man of principle who remained stick to his ideology till the last breath of his life.”

The AJK President said that Mr. Geelani was made to suffer because of his political ideology.