Hundreds of British Kashmiris on Saturday protested against the forced burial of former Chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and prominent Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani by occupation forces in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)
The protesters gathered outside the Indian consulate in Birmingham and other cities of the UK on the call of Tehreek-e-Kashmir (TeK).
The protesters chanted anti-India and pro-freedom slogans for Kashmir while criticising the inhumane treatment of the body of the deceased Kashmir leader by Indian troops.
The protesters were carrying Geelani’s pictures and shouting the slogans, "We are all Geelanis and we will continue his mission".
Addressing those in attendance, President TeK UK, Raja Fahim Kayani said the deceased leader was the face of the Kashmiri freedom struggle who challenged India’s hegemonic rule over IIOJK for decades.
Kayani added, "Geelani had been fighting India since the early 1960s and was imprisoned for almost 10 years after 1962 and was often restricted to his home afterwards."
Other Kashmiri community leaders Khawaja Muhammad Suleman, Mushtaq Hussain, Khawaja Inam-ul-Haq, Qamar Abbas, Liaqat Lone, Yousaf Farooq, Azam Farooq and Sardar Aftab said India had murdered the Kashmiri leader by putting him under house arrest since 2008.This caused several health issues to Geelani and he died without receiving a proper medical treatment, they added.
Speaking on the occasion, President TeK Europe, Muhammad Ghalib said that India's act of barbarism of snatching Geelani's body and forcibly burying him in a quiet funeral at a local graveyard under harsh restrictions was inhuman and amounted to the worst kind of human rights violations.
Anti-India protests were also held in In the other parts of the UK, including Nelson and Dewsbury. The funeral prayers in absentia were also held in Luton, Walsall, Leeds and other cities in the different countries of Europe.
A day earlier, Pakistan summoned Indian Charge d’ Affaires to the Foreign Office and conveyed a strong demarche on Indian occupation forces’ “callous and inhuman” handling of the mortal remains of the iconic Kashmiri leader.
He was laid to rest after a tightly controlled pre-dawn funeral on Thursday as Indian authorities imposed a lockdown across in Indian Illegally-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
The uncompromising campaigner against the Indian occupation of Kashmir, died late on Wednesday at the age of 92, following a long illness while under house arrest by the Indian forces.
The Indian charge d’affaires was summoned to the Foreign Office on Friday to condemn India’s “shameless snatching” of veteran Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s body from his family and disallowing his burial to be held in accordance with his will.
“The Indian charge d’affaires was summoned to the Foreign Office today and conveyed Pakistan’s strong demarche on Indian occupation forces’ callous and inhuman handling of the mortal remains of the iconic Kashmiri leader and freedom fighter Syed Ali Shah Geelani,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
It was also conveyed to the envoy that India’s actions were a “blatant violation” of international humanitarian laws and all tenets of civil and human rights, the FO added.
Meanwhile, funeral prayers for Geelani were offered in absentia at Islamabad’s Faisal Mosque on Friday, wherein President Dr Arif Alvi, federal ministers, parliamentarians and a large number of people from different walks of life offered the prayers.
National Security Adviser Dr Moeed Yusuf, Inter-Services Intelligence Director-General Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry and other government officials also attended the prayers.
Geelani, an icon of the Kashmir freedom movement, passed away on Wednesday night at his home in Srinagar, in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), at the age of 92.
He was laid to rest in Srinagar on Thursday amidst heavy deployment of Indian occupation force, that had earlier taken away the body from the family.
A day earlier, funerals in absentia were held for the Kashmiri leader in other parts of the country after the news of his demise emerged.
Pakistan had announced to fly its national flag at half-mast at the Sindh Governor House and the Chief Minister’s House to mark a ‘day of mourning’ on the Hurriyat leader’s passing away.
Separate condolence messages were issued from the Chief Minister House and the Governor House, while statements paying tribute to the veteran leader poured in from political circles.
In his message, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said Geelani was a symbol of struggle and resilience who remained under house arrest for the last 12 years.
Sindh Governor Imran Ismail noted that Geelani had fought for the Kashmiri people and their right to self-determination. The Pakistani nation pays tribute to his fearless struggle for unwavering commitment to the Kashmir cause, he said.