Former Hurriyat Leader Professor Abdul Gani Bhat Dies In Kashmir

Sopore: Former Hurriyat leader Professor Abdul Gani Bhat died on Wednesday evening in North Kashmir's Sopore district. Bhat, who was suffering from health issues, breathed his last at his residence in Sopore's Botingoo. Condolences started pouring in as the news of the death of the former Hurriyat leader spread. 

Bhat emerged as a co-founder of the Muslim United Front (MUF) in 1986, steering the organisation towards visibility in Kashmir's tumultuous political arena. As a separatist leader, his leadership trajectory further ascended when he served as chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), an umbrella of separatist groups forged in 1993. Additionally, Bhat helmed the Muslim Conference, Jammu and Kashmir (MCJK), a political faction that faced a ban from the Government of India.

He was also known as a man of academia before politics, who taught Persian for 22 years. His foray into politics was marked by activism, leadership, and encounters with arrest, leaving a mark on Kashmir's separatist movement. Born in 1935, Bhat left a mark in Kashmir's political and academic spheres during his long career.

The family of Prof Abdul Gani Bhat has announced that details regarding his funeral prayers will be disclosed later.