Syed Ali Shah Geelani, a leading Kashmiri separatist, is being remembered on his third death anniversary, September 1, 2024. A shutdown has been observed in the occupied Kashmir valley in his honor.
Born in 1929 in Zoori Munj, Bandipore district, Geelani was educated at Wazir Khan Mosque’s madrasa and Oriental College in Lahore. His career included work as a reporter for Khidmat newspaper and teaching at Pather Masjid Srinagar and Sopore Intermediate College.
Geelani’s political journey included multiple affiliations and achievements. He was elected to the occupied Kashmir legislative assembly in 1972, 1977, and 1987, and was involved with National Conference, Jamaat-e-Islami, and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat.
In 1993, he founded the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), serving as its chairman multiple times between 1998 and 2006, and was appointed lifetime chairman in 2015.
Geelani remained under house arrest from 2010 until his death on September 1, 2021, in Hyderpora, Srinagar. Following his death, Indian authorities imposed a curfew and suspended internet and media services in the valley.
An advocate for Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan and critic of Indian rule, Geelani authored 21 books, including “Rudad-e-Qafas” and “Nawa-e-Hurriyat,” highlighting the region’s struggle for freedom and human rights abuses. He was posthumously honored with Pakistan’s Nishan-e-Pakistan for his contributions to the Kashmiri freedom movement.
