Syed Ali Shah Geelani, a Kashmiri separatist, died at the age of 92. The hardline Islamist leader, who has been the face of the separatist movement in Jammu and Kashmir for many years, had been ailing for some time and had resigned from politics and the Hurriyat last year.
“We are deeply saddened by the news of Geelani sahab’s death. We may not have agreed on everything, but I admire him for his perseverance and commitment to his beliefs. May Allah Ta’aala grant him Jannat and condolences to his family and friends “Mehbooba Mufti, former Chief Minister and People’s Democratic Party leader, has tweeted.
We are deeply saddened by the news of Geelani sahab’s death.
We may not have agreed on everything, but I admire him for his perseverance and commitment to his beliefs. May Allah Ta’aala grant him Jannat, and our condolences go out to his family and well-wishers.
Mr Geelani’s decision to leave the separatist body after 27 years came after he was sidelined by Pakistan and its army intelligence, the ISI, according to sources in the home ministry.
While stepping down from the Kashmir Valley’s largest separatist amalgam, he accused it of conspiring against him and failing to rekindle the separatist movement after the Centre repealed Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in August 2019.
