Bhat, 89, was an academic and a long-time separatist leader. He died of age-related illnesses and had been away from social life for some years now.
He was born in 1935 and taught Persian in different colleges in J&K for around 22 years before he was terminated from government services in 1986, when he co-founded the Muslim United Front (MUF), which fought the controversial 1987 assembly elections, marred by widespread rigging. Later, under the banner of Muslim Conference, he co-founded All Parties Hurriyat Conference, an amalgam of pro-freedom parties in 1993. In 2024, his Muslim Conference was banned by the BJP-led central government for a period of five years.
“I lost the affectionate elder, a dear friend and colleague, Prof. Abdul Ghani Bhat Sahib, who passed away some time ago…A huge personal loss! May Allah grant him the highest place in Jannah. Kashmir has been bereft of a sincere and visionary leader,” Mirwaiz Umar Farooq of Hurriyat wrote on X.
Mirwaiz informed that he has been locked inside his home in Srinagar and was disallowed to participate in the funeral of Bhat.
Bhat was known for his pro-dialogue stance for the resolution of Kashmir issue and believed in “realistic practical approach” to politics. He was part of the Hurriyat delegation that engaged in a dialogue process with New Delhi during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government and the UPA government under Manmohan Singh.
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