Renowned Kashmiri leader Prof Shawl laid to rest

Kashmiris in shock over untimely death of liberation leader

LONDON/ ISLAMABAD/ MUZAFFRABAD:

Professor Nazir Ahmed Shawl, a prominent Kashmiri leader in the struggle for the right of self-determination in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) was laid to rest in Borough Cemetery, Powder Mill Lane Whitton London on Saturday.

The veteran leader Shawl 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.

Speaker AJK assembly Chaudhry Latif Akbar said that Professor Shawl’s commitment to Kashmir's liberation struggle was unbelievable and the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir are in deep shock at the untimely death of Professor Shawl.

Akbar had met Professor Shawl just 24 hours before he died in a London hospital saying he was the real voice of the voiceless people of Jammu and Kashmir. During the illness his passion and love for Kashmir's struggle was unbelievable.

President Tehreek-e-Kashmir (TeK) UK Fahim Kayani said that Professor Shawl was the global icon of the ongoing right of self-determination movement of the people of IIOJK.

His words captured the sentiment of many who recognised Professor Shawl not just as a political figure but as an intellectual force committed to the ideals of justice and freedom.

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Besides others Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan in United Kingdom UK Dr Faisal Aziz Ahmed, President Tehreek-e-Kashmir UK Raja Fahim Kayani, President Tehreek-e-Kashmir Europe Muhammad Ghalib, Barrister Abdul Majeed Trumboo, Lord Qurban Hussain, Nazir Ahmed Qureshi, Dr Riaz Ahmed Former Minister AJK, Amjad Abbasi Mayor of Slough, Afzaal Kayani Mayor of Hunslow, Raja Aslam Khan Former Deputy Leader of Luton, Riaz Butt, Tahir Malik and Waheed Akbar former Mayors of Luton.

Altaf Khan former Mayor of Oxford, Liaqat Ali former Mayor of Walthamstow, Ch Shaukat Ali Chairman of Muslim Friends of Labour, Professor Zafar Khan Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front leader, Mufti Khalid Mehmood Jamiat Ulma-e-Islam UK, Ch Muhammad Sharif Senior Vice President TeK UK, Mohaideen Dar, Irshad Malik, Raja Ayub, Raja Basharat Khan, Ghulam Nabi Flahi, Yasir Shawl, Dr Manzoor Shawl, Raja Sikandar Khan Chairman Pak Kashmir attended the funeral prayers.

In Islamabad former federal minister Hanif Abbasi, Sardar Naseem Khan, former Mayor of Rawalpindi, and Altaf Ahmed Bhat, senior Hurriyat leader, who collectively mourned the loss of a true visionary and advocate for justice in IIOJK.

In Muzaffarabad President PML-N AJK chapter Shah Ghulam Qadir, while offering his condolences and reflecting on Professor Shawl's global impact said, "In the memory of Professor Shawl, we remember a fearless advocate for human rights and a beacon for the Kashmir cause. His impact transcends borders and time, shaping the narrative for justice”.

Professor Shawl, revered as a global voice for the people of IIOJK left an indelible mark on the ongoing liberation struggle.

Former AJK assembly member Dr Pir Ali Raza Bukhari said that Professor Shawl was an authentic historian. The deceased was in love with his prime work which was the right of self-determination.