Srinagar (TASSAWAR NEWS) – The fourth death anniversary of Syed Ali Geelani, revered as the father of the Kashmiri freedom movement, is being observed today on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and by Kashmiris across the globe.
Syed Ali Geelani endured decades of Indian oppression but never bowed to slavery, spending more than twenty years in Indian prisons.
Born on 29 September 1929 in the village of Zurimanz near Bandipora, Geelani received his early education in Sopore before pursuing higher studies at Oriental College, Lahore. In 1949, he joined Jamaat-e-Islami.
In 1961, Geelani resigned from government service to become a full-time leader of Jamaat-e-Islami. The same year, he was arrested for the first time. He was later elected to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly three times (1972, 1977, and 1987) on Jamaat-e-Islami’s ticket.
In 1994, he co-founded the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) with other Kashmiri leaders. From 1990 to 2010, he faced repeated arrests and detentions, and in 2010, he was placed under house arrest.
This steadfast leader passed away on 1 September 2021 while still under detention. In recognition of his lifelong struggle, the Government of Pakistan posthumously awarded him the Nishan-e-Pakistan.
