The fourth death anniversary of veteran Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Gilani is being observed today across both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and by Kashmiri communities worldwide.
Syed Ali Gilani passed away on September 1, 2021, while under house arrest at his residence in Hyderpora. He had been confined for over a decade due to his political activities and remained under strict surveillance until his death.
Born on September 29, 1929, in Zurimanz village, Bandipora, Gilani was the son of a landless labourer. He received his early education in Sopore before moving to Lahore to complete a course in Islamic theology, laying the foundation for his later political and religious leadership.
Gilani played a pivotal role in the formation of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) in 1993 and served as its chairman from 1998 to 2000. Later, he led his own faction of the Hurriyat until 2020, when declining health limited his active participation in politics.
In 2004, he founded the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Party and remained its leading figure, advocating for Kashmiri political rights. Despite repeated arrests, house detentions, and legal challenges—including sedition charges in 2010 linked to a seminar in New Delhi—Syed Ali Gilani remained a steadfast voice in Kashmir’s political landscape.
A lifelong member of Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir since 1953, Gilani was also elected multiple times to the Legislative Assembly from Sopore. He is remembered not only for his political influence but also for shaping the region’s religious and social discourse.
As the day of his anniversary is observed, political leaders, activists, and citizens commemorate his contributions, highlighting his role as one of Kashmir’s most influential leaders in modern history.
In other news read more about Turkiye First Lady Emine Erdoğan Expresses Solidarity with Pakistan Flood Victims
