Several political parties on Wednesday paid tributes to Abdul Gani Lone and Mirwaiz Muhammad Farooq on their death anniversary.
Jammu Kashmir Awami Action Committee (AAC) while paying tributes to its founder, Mirwaiz Farooq on his 30th death anniversary, Lone and people who were killed on May 21 said, various commemorative functions held every year to pay tribute to the late leader were deferred amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Besides, a statement said, ACC and Hurriyta Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Muhammad Umar Farooq continues to be under house detention since August last year .
“However, the Hurriyat Conference will in a few days decide on the program for May 21 and inform people accordingly,” said the statement.
It said Mirwaiz Farooq was son of the soil who dedicated his life to carrying forward the mission of his predecessors, propagating Islamic teaching and values among masses.
“He was a great advocate of peace for people of subcontinent and believed it was the key to prosperity. Tragically, while pursuing this mission, Shaheed-e-Millat sacrificed his life on 21 May 1990 at the young age of 46 and Kashmir lost a great visionary and selfless leader,” said the statement.
Peoples Conference (PC) paid tributes to Lone and Mirwaiz Farooq. “We pay homage to late Abdul Gani Lone and late Mirwaiz Muhammad Farooq for the supreme sacrifice they made for Kashmir. Both the leaders rendered sacrifice for peace and for the sake of the Kashmiri people,” said PC Chief Spokesperson, Junaid Azim Mattu, in a statement.
“They remind us of a golden era of politics where moderate politics and intellectualism were the defining attributes of leadership. Their memory will always remain but the plight of the Kashmiris, their disempowerment makes their absence felt even more fondly,” he said.
Mattu said both the leaders were victims of violence prevalent in the state for the last three decades.
Meanwhile, the PC leaders including Abdul Gani Vakil, Bashir Ahmad Dar, Raja Aijaz Ali, Muhammad Abbas Wani, Irfan Panditpori, Muhammad Sulaiman, Rashid Mehmood, Adnan Ashraf Mir among others also paid tributes to Lone and Farooq.
National Conference President, Farooq Abdullah also paid tributes to Mirwaiz Farooq.
In his message Abdullah said Mirwaiz was known for his literary endowments and social service. “The traditional role played by Mirwaiz family in the field of education and social service is commendable. Late Mirwaiz throughout his life made earnest efforts to forge unity among Muslim Ummah,” said Abdullah.
Meanwhile party leaders Sheikh Mustafa Kamal, Mubarak Gull and Peer Afaq also paid tributes to Mirwiaz.
In a separate statement, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also paid tributes to Mirwaiz Farooq and Lone.
The party spokesman said the best tribute to the two leaders would be that people commit themselves to working for social upliftment of downtrodden.
According to the spokesman, contribution made by the two leaders in the socio-political awakening of people would long be remembered in J&K for times to come.