Sheikh Abdullah Was No Lion: Sehrai

SRINAGAR — Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Chairman, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, on Wednesday said that former Prime Minister and National Conference founder, Shiekh Mohammad Abdullah, was “not a lion” and it due his mistakes that “people are bear­ing the brunt.”

Sherai was addressing mourn­ers at slain Hurriyat leader Mir Hafizullah’s residence.

“What has he ever done to be called a lion?” Sehrai asked and added that it was “Sheikh Abdul­laha’s mistakes that the people of Kashmir are bearing the brunt for.”

Sherai said that his “first mis­take in 1947 could be forgiven and it can be assumed that he was betrayed the first time.” “He then repeatedly betrayed the people of Kashmir, knowing well whatever he was up to. The accord of 1975 being one such example. We as people are to blamed as well.”

“As per the inputs available with us, the Indian government has reactivated a force like Ikhwan, while the weapons among these people have been distributed co­vertly to silence pro-freedom lead­ership, especially TeH and Jamaat e Islami activists,” he said.

Sehrai described the assassi­nation of Mir Hafizullah as “hei­nous and cowardly act”.

“Under a well-thought-out plan, some forces are strength­ening the hands of unidentified gunmen to kill pro-freedom leaders and activists.”

“Before this incident, many pro-freedom leaders and activ­ists have been targeted by un­identified gunmen,” he said, adding that “since 1990 under a well-planned conspiracy, top religious and political leaders were killed from time-to-time with the design to eliminate the Kashmiri resistance leadership and make it leaderless.”

“However, these killings did not dampen the resolve of the leadership which continued to carry forward the resistance movement,” Sehrai said.

“I was deeply shocked and hor­rified to hear of the heinous as­sassination. In his death, Tehreek-e-Hurriyat and Kashmir freedom struggle has lost an outstanding leader who worked for Kashmir cause since decades tirelessly and chose to fight Indian occupa­tion with tremendous commit­ment, conviction and dedication which cannot be forgotten.”

“Such inhumanity is unpar­donable and needs to be con­demned in the strongest terms! Proud son of the soil, his death is a huge loss,” he said.

NC Hits Back At Sehrai Says  ‘Shiekh Abdullah Was A Visionary’

National Conference on Wednesday hit back at Tehreek-i-Hurriyat (Teh) chairman, Mo­hammad Ashraf Sehrai, for his statement that Kashmiris were facing the “brunt of” policies of NC founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. The NC said that “the statement was attempt to gain prominence in the political hori­zon of Kashmir.”

In a statement by party general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar, the NC said that Hurriyat leader didn’t have the “gumption to condemn people responsible for the killing of his colleague.”

“Strangely Sehrai is blaming a person who died in 1982 for the death of his party member. This is beyond comprehension. Sheikh sb was the tallest leader our state has ever produced. The title of Sher-e-Kashmir that was accorded to him was given by people who believed in his lead­ership and judgment (sic).”

“The last farewell that people gave to Sher-e-Kashmir was re­flective of his stature and politi­cal standing. Even his detractors appreciate what Sheikh did for our state and its people. Num­ber of intellectuals in India and Pakistan paid glorious tributes to Sher e Kashmir on his death. M D Taseer, famous Pakistani Urdu poet and writer had said that Kashmir owes its nationalism to Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah,” he said. Sagar said that Sehrai and “his ideologue party contest­ed elections when Sheikh Abdul­lah was under confinement.”

“Instead of supporting Sher-e-Kashmir, they went ahead and took part in Assembly elections in 1971 against the wishes of people of Kashmir,” he said. NC General Secretary said that Sehrai owes an explanation to the people of the state. “What have they been able to achieve in all these years except deaths,” he said. Sagar said that the tributes that poured at the demise of Shiekh Abdullah “from all the State heads around the world reveal his stature.”

“Sheikh Sahib’s personality and achievements are too big to be belittled by people like Sehrai who have now resorted to name calling,” he said.

Sagar said Sheikh “was a vi­sionary leader and the champion of the people of Jammu & Kash­mir.” “Sehrai is trying to find substratum in the political land­scape of Kashmir by blaming the tallest leader,” he said.

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