Political parties, religious and social organisations Wednesday expressed grief over the demise of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Chairman Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, who passed away in a Jammu hospital on Wednesday.
In her condolence message, former chief minister and People’s Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti said she was “deeply saddened” to know about Sehrai’s demise.
“Deeply saddened to know about Ashraf SehraiSahab’s sudden demise. Like him countless political prisoners and other detainees from J&K continue to be jailed purely for their ideologies and thought process. In today’s India one pays a price with his life for dissent,” Mehbooba posted on Twitter.
Apni Party President AltafBukhari also expressed grief over Sehrai’s demise.
In a condolence message issued here, Bukhari extended solidarity with the bereaved family and prayed for the eternal peace to the departed soul.
“I pray to Almighty Allah to grant Jannat to SehraiSahab, and give courage to his family to bear this huge loss. Apni Party stands in solidarity with SehraiSahab’s family at this difficult period of time,” he said.
Peoples Conference Chairman Sajad Lone described Sehrai as an “honest politician and regretted that he died in incarceration”.
“Why did he have to die in incarceration and not at his home amongst his kin and loved ones. Have we become so weak that an old infirm dying person is a threat to the state,” Lone tweeted.
“This is the irony of Kashmiri politics. Top-quality politicians consumed by the conflict,” he said. “The ideological versatility of Kashmir politics is a curse. A transparently honest politician spent decades in jail.”
The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) also expressed profound grief over Sehrai’s demise.
In a condolence message, JKPCC said the septuagenarian Sehrai was a well-known religious and scholarly figure of Kashmir and conveyed deepest condolences to the bereaved family.
Expressing grief over Sehrai’s demise, CPI (M) leader Muhammad YousufTarigami urged the administration to shift his body to Kashmir at the earliest so that his family could perform his last rites.
In a condolence message, Tarigami extended solidarity with the bereaved family.
Jammu & Kashmir AnjumanSharieShian President Aga Syed Hassan Mosavi Al-Safavi while expressing grief prayed for the peace to the departed soul and strength to the grief-stricken family to bear the inconsolable loss.
In his condolence message, Safavi said that he was a pillar and thinker of APHC as well as a powerful religious scholar.
Peoples Democratic Front Chairman Hakeem Yaseen also condoledSehri’s demise and expressed sympathies to the bereaved family.
“Besides a known political figure, Sehraisahab was also a great religious scholar,” Yaseen said.
PDP Youth Wing State Secretary ArifLaigaroo also condoledSehri’s demise. “He was an honest politician,” Laigaroo said and prayed for the departed soul.
Meanwhile, All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) also expressed sorrow at Sehri’s demise.