Death anniversary: Founding president of AJK remembered

MIRPUR:

The ninth death anniversary of Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, the founding president of Azad Kashmir, was observed across the state on Tuesday.

The day had been declared a public holiday and various ceremonies were organised to pay tributes to the revered leader and to highlight his meritorious services for the liberation of the people of Kashmir.

The most notable ceremonies were organised in Rawalakot, at his mausoleum, and in Mirpur, during which the Holy Quran was recited and speakers spoke about Khan’s life.

The ceremony held in Mirpur was attended by Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Party’s former President Syed Nishaat Hussain Kazmi, Dr Tahir Masood, Amer Pervez, Shareef Mughal and others, who also spoke to participants.

The speakers called for early settlement of the Kashmir issue and demanded their legitimate right to self-determination.

Khan obtained his LLB from the University of London in 1943, and began his practice as a prosecutor in 1943 at Mirpur. He completed his BVC from Lincoln’s Inn and became the first barrister of Kashmir.

Khan died in Islamabad in 2003 after a prolonged illness. He was laid to rest in his native village in Rawalakot of Poonch District the same day.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 1^st, 2012.