Veteran Hurriyat Leader Abdul Ghani Bhat Passes Away

Former Chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference and prominent Kashmiri pro-freedom leader, Professor Abdul Ghani Bhat, passed away at his residence in Sopore on Wednesday evening after a prolonged illness. He was 89.

According to Kashmir media reports, Prof. Bhat hailed from Botengo village in north Kashmir, located about 10 kilometres from Sopore. He studied Persian, economics, and political science at Sri Pratap College in Srinagar before completing a master’s degree in Persian and a law degree from Aligarh Muslim University.

He was one of the founding members of the Muslim United Front and also contested the 1987 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections—polls widely regarded as rigged, which later pushed the political struggle in the region towards an armed movement.

Prof. Bhat went on to lead the All Parties Hurriyat Conference as its chairman and also headed the Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference, an organisation banned by the Indian government. His political stance was centred on rejecting India’s control over Kashmir and advocating for the region’s right to self-determination or accession to Pakistan.

Throughout his political career, he endured repeated imprisonments and house arrests, remaining steadfast in his opposition to India’s rule in Kashmir.

After years of ill health and age-related ailments, Prof. Abdul Ghani Bhat has left behind a legacy of resilience, with thousands of supporters and ideological companions mourning his loss today.