Rich tributes paid to Prof Abdul Ghani Butt in Srinagar
Srinagar: All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) senior leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has expressed grief at the passing away of senior Hurriyat leader Prof Ghani Butt and paid him rich tributes.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Prof Abdul Ghani Butt passes away at his residence in Sopore, Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, on Wednesday evening at the age of 90.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in a statement in Srinagar said that his long association of over 35 years with Prof Butt was a privilege and a blessing, as it gave him “the chance to know this gentle intellectual closely and learn from his wisdom.”
“A respected academic, an accomplished scholar, and an upright politician, Prof. Butt consistently upheld dialogue and peaceful engagement as the only practical way to address the Kashmir issue. At a time when many thought otherwise, he had the courage to speak openly and firmly despite suffering personal losses,” said Mirwaiz.
Mirwaiz said that Prof Butt’s legacy will endure as that of a scholar-statesman who combined intellect with humility, courage with patience, and conviction with compassion. His absence has created a void that cannot be filled, but his words, his vision, and his example will continue to inspire and guide, he added.
Meanwhile, spokesperson of Jammu and Kashmir Hurriyat Movement Ahmed Yasin in a statement in Srinagar,
expressing extreme grief and sorrow, said the Kashmiri people have lost a sincere freedom-loving leader and intellectual.
He said Professor Butt spent his entire life lighting the candle of freedom and cultivating the mission of the right to self-determination. Professor Butt was a great supporter of the election boycott campaign of the Hurriyat Conference and actively participated in the election boycott campaign of Hurriyat in August 1999, he added.
