Jailed separatist Masarat Alam is new Hurriyat chairman; All you need to know about him-

Srinagar, Sept 9: Days after the death of Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani, his close aide Masarat Alam Bhat, currently in jail, has been appointed as the chairman of hard-line All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), according to a press release apparently issued by the party.

 

 

According to the reports, Shabir Ahmad Shah and Ghulam Ahmad Gulzar, both were elected as vice-chairmen. It also stated that Gulzar will continue running the affairs of APHC with regular guidelines from the chairman.

 

 

 

The APHC did not have a chairman after Geelani, in June last year, had announced his separation from it. He had accused Hurriyat members of inaction after the revocation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.

 

 

Alam, the 49-year-old jailed separatist, is now in Tihar Jail since June 2019 in a case filed by National Investigation Agency under terror funding. It should be noted that Shabir Shah is also in jail. He has been in jail for most of the time since his arrest in October 2010.

 

 

This came after he has been involved in anti-national activities that led to registering 27 FIRs against him and has been booked under the public safety act (PSA) at least 36 times, according to local media reports. He was then released after more than four years in March 2015.

 

He was arrested again on April 17, 2015 on the charges of ‘sedition’ and ‘waging war against the state’ after he allegedly raised pro-Pakistan slogans in a rally, orgainsed to welcome Syed Ali Geelani in Srinagar. He was subsequently booked under public safety act.

 

 

He was the key figure behind massive stone-pelting protests in the Kashmir Valley in 2010. This became a trend in the Valley after that. This has also led to killings of many youths as well as security forces. As it is said, the Hurriyat Conference gains support from more and pro-Pakistan elements that has also helped to create more terrorism in the Kashmir Valley.