Kashmir mourns loss of renowned leader

Professor Nazir Ahmed Shawl, a prominent figure in the struggle for the right of self-determination in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), breathed his last on Friday in London following a brief illness. He was 77. Professor Shawl, revered as a global voice for the people of IIOJK, succumbed to multiple ailments, with kidney failure identified as the primary cause of his untimely demise.

His passing has come as a great loss for the Kashmiri community, as he was widely regarded as a gem of knowledge and a stalwart in the pursuit of Kashmir's liberation. The news of his demise has reverberated beyond the boundaries of Jammu and Kashmir, eliciting mourning and reflections on his invaluable role as an icon for the self-determination cause across the entire region.

Expressing his condolences, Barrister Abdul Majid Tramboo said, “We have lost a dedicated leader but also a true family man and I have lost someone who is truly my brother. He has left this world for the eternal abode in the world hereafter. However, his fearless legacy stays with us.”Before his passing, Professor Shawl exchanged brief words with AJK Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar, who had inquired about his health during his stay at a London hospital.

Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq, President Barrister Sultan Mehmood, President PML-N AJK chapter Shah Ghulam Qadir, Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar and All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leader Altaf Ahmad Bhat termed Shawl’s death a dent to ongoing liberation struggle at literary level. They said that Professor Shawl would be remembered forever for his matchless sacrifices for the Kashmir cause.

"Our deepest condolences on the passing of Professor Nazir Ahmed Shawl. A true pioneer in the Kashmir Movement, his legacy will be remembered beyond boundaries. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time. May he rest in peace," Altaf Ahmad Bhat wrote in a post on ‘X’.

Born on October 13, 1946, in Baramulla, Professor Shawl was a polymath—a multilingual individual, an educator, a poet, a staunch advocate for human rights, and above all, a devoted family man He completed his undergraduate studies in sciences at Kashmir University, Srinagar, and pursued his post-graduation in Botany from the same esteemed institution.

Read more: Eight Kashmiris martyred in IIOJK

Throughout his illustrious career, Professor Shawl undertook various roles, serving as a distinguished professor and researcher in Botany.
His professional journey also encompassed positions as a field advisor in science, coordinator for the UNICEF-assisted project PECR, a valued member of the Board of Undergraduate Studies at the Botany University of Kashmir and Chief Test Administrator of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS-Bombay).

Prof Shawl’s writings have highlighted his concerns about the human rights of the people in different conflict areas but championed the Kashmir cause and extremely serious human rights violations in IIOJK. He has been chief editor of Kashmir Press International (KPI) a news agency. Professor Shawl instituted a think tank, together with other activists, known as the South Asia Centre for Peace and Human Rights of which he is the chairman in London.