A symbol of the Kashmiri freedom movement, and former chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), Syed Ali Shah Geelani passed away on Wednesday in the Indian-occupied Kashmir city of Srinagar.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the veteran Kashmiri leader was 92.
He was an uncompromising campaigner against Indian rule and had been under house arrest for the past 11 years. He had been ill for several months.
He was suffering from multiple ailments and the continued house arrest had taken a heavy toll on his health, KMS said.
KMS, citing family sources, reported that he “developed serious complications on Wednesday afternoon and breathed his last in the evening”.
“He had chest congestion and breathing problems. He passed away at 10:30pm,” they said.
Reports of the Indian occupational forces putting pressure on Geelani’s family to bury him in the night without a proper funeral surfaced soon after news of his demise broke.
A security clampdown was also imposed, AFP reported, citing residents.
Troops put up barbed wire and barricades on roads leading to Geelani’s house in the main city of Srinagar after the family announced the death, according to AFP.