Pakistan mourns passing away of iconic Kashmiri leader

The Foreign Office on Thursday ‘deeply mourned’ the passing away of the iconic leader of the Kashmiri resistance Syed Ali Shah Geelani, under prolonged house arrest in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

“The nation pays rich tribute to his life-long struggle for justice and freedom,” FO said in a statement.

It further stated that Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s unflinching commitment to the Kashmir cause, in the face of persistent persecution and tremendous personal hardship, is unparalleled.

“He inspired three generations of Kashmiris in resisting the illegal Indian occupation and unabated tyranny,” it said adding that the veteran leader was a true voice and hero of the Kashmiris’ struggle for self-determination, who never lost his ideological moorings for a single moment.

“Upright and steadfast, he would never compromise on the just cause that he led throughout his life from the core of his heart,” FO said.

The Foreign Office said that Geelani would be remembered for his unconditional love for Kashmir and Pakistan.

“May his soul rest in peace and may he continue to be an inspiration for those carrying his mission forward to bring an end to illegal Indian occupation of Jammu and Kashmir,” it added.

“Pakistan will continue to extend all possible support to the Kashmiri people till the realisation of their legitimate right to self-determination as enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” the statement concluded.

Veteran Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani was laid to rest at a graveyard near his residence in Srinagar’s Hyderpora around 4.30am amid tight security.

His relatives told the Indian publications that only Geelani’s close relatives and neighbours were allowed to attend his funeral as the security forces sealed the graveyard.

Indian authorities imposed a security clampdown in disputed Kashmir late on Wednesday after the veteran Kashmiri leader’s death at the age of 92.

Troops put up barbed wire and barricades on roads leading to Geelani’s house in the main city of Srinagar after the family announced the death.