Expressing deep sorrow over the demise of Syed Ali Gilani, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said that “the flag of Pakistan will remain in the tunnels and a day of mourning will be observed at the official level.
Police in Indian-administered Kashmir say more troops were deployed in Srinagar late at night as a precaution after the death of surprise leader Syed Ali Gilani and the internet was shut down.
A police official told Reuters that the troops had been “deployed in sensitive areas in Srinagar and vehicles were not allowed to move”.
Police Chief Vijay Kumar said that as a precautionary measure, the internet in the valley has been shut down and other restrictions have been imposed.
Roads leading to his home in Srinagar were cordoned off with barbed wire and barricades following news of Syed Ali Gilani’s death, according to AFP.
Announcements from the main mosque near Syed Ali Gilani’s house told people to go to his residence, but armored vehicles and trucks continued to patrol the main roads in the area. Police appealed to people not to go out.
Syed Ali Gilani, 92, had been ill for some time and was suffering from various physical ailments. He had a pacemaker joined to his heart. His leaf and one kidney had been removed, while a third of the other kidney had also been surgically removed.
According to Kashmir News Observer (KNO) news agency, Syed Ali Gilani fell ill on Wednesday afternoon and passed away at 10.30 pm. He had chest tightness and difficulty breathing.
A series of condolences
On the demise of Syed Ali Gilani, a series of condolence messages are being sent on social media by Pakistani politicians and other important personalities.
Expressing deep sorrow and grief over the demise of Syed Ali Gilani, Prime Minister Imran Khan said, “He endured the tortures of imprisonment of the occupying Indian state but remained steadfast.”
Hailing the courageous struggle of Syed Ali Gilani, the Prime Minister said that the flag of Pakistan will remain low and a day of mourning will be observed at the official level.
We in Pakistan salute his courageous struggle & remember his words: “Hum Pakistani hain aur Pakistan Humara hai”. The Pakistan flag will fly at half mast and we will observe a day of official mourning.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) September 1, 2021
Shehryar Afridi, chairman of the parliamentary committee on Kashmir, expressed grief over the death of Syed Ali Gilani and vowed to carry out his mission.
The passing of iconic freedom leader Syed Ali Geelani is tragic RIP. Strongest voice for Kashmiri resistance that shook Illegal Occupational regime of India in Jammu&Kashmir.He & his comrades strived for freedom of Kashmiris.We promise to carry forward his mission #SyedAliGillani
— Shehryar Afridi (@ShehryarAfridi1) September 1, 2021
Mashal Hussain Malik, the wife of Hurriyat leader Yasin Malik, also expressed grief over the death of Syed Ali Gilani in her Twitter message, saying: Is an example
Shocked and saddened on the death of #SyedAliGillani. I wish he would have seen the face of free Kashmir. But his life struggle is a model for us to stand firm against oppression and occupational forces.
— Mushaal Hussein Mullick (@MushaalMullick) September 1, 2021
Who is Syed Ali Gilani?
Syed Ali Gilani was born on September 29, 1929, in the Bandipora district of North Kashmir, and in 1950 his parents migrated to Sopore town in the neighboring Baramulla district.
Gilani received degrees from Adib Alam from Oriental College Lahore and Adib Fazal and Munshi Fazal from Kashmir University. He was appointed as a teacher in 1949 and served in various schools in Kashmir for 12 years before resigning.
In 1953, he became a member of the Jamaat-e-Islami. He was first arrested on August 28, 1962, and released from prison 13 months later
In total, he spent more than 14 years of his life in various jails in Jammu and Kashmir and India, while under house arrest for more than a decade.
Gilani was a member of the Assembly in Kashmir for 15 years. He was elected to the Assembly three times in 1972, 1977, and 1987 from the Sopore constituency on the mandate of Jamaat-e-Islami. He resigned from the Assembly on August 30, 1989.
Syed Ali Gilani served in various positions in Jamaat-e-Islami including Amir District, Editor Azan, Qaim Jamaat, and Acting Amir Jamaat. He is the writer of in excess of 30 books. After Jamaat-e-Islami, Syed Ali Gilani joined the Hurriyat movement.
He served as chairman of a faction of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, a pro-resistance party in Jammu and Kashmir, but announced his complete separation from the forum in June last year.
It should be noted that there are two factions of the Hurriyat Conference. One faction called Hurriyat Conference (C) was led by Syed Ali Gilani while the other faction called Hurriyat Conference (AS) is led by Mirwaiz Maulvi Omar Farooq.
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