The fourth death anniversary of veteran Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Gilani is being observed today on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and worldwide.
Syed Ali Gilani passed away on September 1, 2021, while under house arrest at his Hyderpora residence, where he had been confined for over a decade due to his political activities.
Born on September 29, 1929, in Zurimanz village, Bandipora, Gilani was the son of a landless labourer. He received early education in Sopore and later studied in Lahore, completing a course in Islamic theology.
He played a key role in founding the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) in 1993 and served as its chairman from 1998 to 2000. Later, he led his own faction until 2020 due to declining health.
Gilani also founded the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Party in 2004, becoming its leading figure. He remained active in politics despite repeated arrests and legal challenges, including sedition charges in 2010 related to a seminar he attended in New Delhi.
A lifelong member of Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir since 1953, he was elected multiple times to the Legislative Assembly from Sopore. He is remembered as one of the most influential leaders in Kashmir’s political and religious landscape.