APHC pays glowing tributes to martyr leader Ashraf Sehrai
Srinagar: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference has paid rich tributes to Tehreek-e-Hurriyet Jammu and Kashmir chairman, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, on the eve of his fifth martyrdom anniversary in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Kashmir Media Service, APHC spokesman Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas in a statement issued in Srinagar said Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai was a symbol of resistance and an embodiment of sacrifice. He said Ashraf Sehrai’s life, sacrifices and struggle are a role model for coming generations of Kashmir. He said the best way to pay tribute to the iconic leader is to follow his teachings and fulfill his true mission.
The APHC maintained that Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai devoted his entire life to the Kashmir freedom struggle and sacrificed everything, including his own life and his beloved son, for the noble cause of Kashmir. “He was tortured, imprisoned for years and persecuted for demanding the basic rights of Kashmiris but remained firm and steadfast and never bowed down before the oppressor India.
His death is a custodial murder as he was kept in a death cell without any medical aid, which resulted in his martyrdom.
India, under a well-planned conspiracy, is eliminating leaders of the freedom movement to deprive Kashmiris of their leadership,” the statement said.The killings of Ashraf Sehrai, icon of the Kashmir freedom movement Syed Ali Gilani, THJK leader Altaf Ahmed Shah and others in custody are glaring examples of Indian brutalities on Kashmiris, the statement added.
The lives of thousands of Kashmiri political detainees, including the leadership, are in danger in Indian jails, he said.The APHC spokesman said India must remember that it can kill Kashmiris but cannot defeat their passion for freedom.
“Today Kashmiris are paying glowing tributes to the martyred leader and vow that the mission of all Kashmiri martyrs will be accomplished at any cost. Martyrs are our heroes who laid down their lives for our better tomorrow and Kashmiris will never let their blood and supreme sacrifices go to waste. We are indebted to our martyrs and today we promise that we will leave no stone unturned to accomplish their mission. The day is not far when the heroic struggle of valiant Kashmiris will succeed and their supreme sacrifices will bear fruit and they will get rid of the curse of Indian slavery,” he added.
Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai was booked under the draconian Public Safety Act on July 12, 2020 after his arrest from Srinagar and shifted to Udhampur Jail in Jammu. His condition deteriorated in jail and he was not given timely access to a doctor. He was shifted to a hospital in Jammu on May 04, 2021 where he died the next day.
Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai was suffering from multiple diseases and was not provided any treatment during his incarceration. His family members were kept unaware of his health condition .Sehrai was among those detained during a lockdown ahead of the revocation of special status of occupied Jammu and Kashmir and its illegal bifurcation into two union territories by the BJP-led Indian government in August 2019. He was finally arrested under the PSA from his Barzulla residence in Srinagar in July 2020.
Originally hailing from Tekipora village in Lolab in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, Sehrai joined Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) at a young age and remained associated with Syed Ali Gilani for over six decades. He was detained numerous times on charges of carrying out pro-freedom activities and advocating resolution of the Kashmir dispute.
Meanwhile, Kashmiri Hurriyat leader Altaf Ahmed Bhat, in a statement in Islamabad, also paid tribute to Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, remembering his steadfast commitment and lifelong struggle for the freedom and dignity of the Kashmiri people. He said that Ashraf Sehrai’s death in Indian custody a reflection of the deteriorating human rights situation in IIOJK and demanded and an impartial investigation into the circumstances of his death.
“Ashraf Sehrai stood firm in the face of repression and never compromised on his principles,” Bhat said. He emphasized that Sehrai’s mission continues to inspire generations and reaffirmed that the struggle for justice and self-determination will persist until its logical conclusion. He also paid tribute to Sehrai’s son, Junaid Sehrai, who was martyred in May 2020, stating that the sacrifices of the Sehrai family reflect the unwavering spirit of the Kashmiri people.
