The government of Pakistan conferred its highest civilian award, Nishan-e-Pakistan on separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Friday. The award was announced just days after Geelani resigned as the chairman of Hurriyat Conference in protest against Islamabad's interference in the group's decisions.
In a surprising move, Geelani on Wednesday announced that he refuses to accept Nishan-e-Pakistan award. Geelani said his representative Abdullah Gilani was sidelined when in fact the award was received by the same people responsible for his exit from All Parties Hurriyat Conference. This irked Geelani to the extent he rejected Pak's highest civilian honour.
Meanwhile, Hurriyat Conference in Pakistan has said that "it is a fake letter which has been attributed to Geelani".
Nishan-e-Pakistan conferred on SAS Geelani
The resolution was unanimously passed in the Senate of Pakistan with a complete consensus over what they called "relentless" struggle of Syed Ali Geelani.
The government and the opposition benches, praising the ailing Kashmiri leader for his "unwavering commitment, dedication, perseverance and leadership", moved the resolution jointly.
The resolution also appreciated Geelani for "exposing Indian atrocities, suppressive measures and human rights violations in Indian occupied Kashmir".
The move comes in wake of the one-year completion of revocation of special status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir by the Modi government. On August 5, 2019, India abrogated Article 370 and 35A and changed the status of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories.
Since then, Jammu and Kashmir has been in a state of lockdown with curfew imposed in the valley.
Syed Ali Geelani, leader of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat has been supportive of Pakistan's case against India on Kashmir, calling for independence from India and unification with Pakistan.
Geelani, along with other leaders of the hurriyat, has been detained several times in the past as Kashmir valley continues to stay under detention, curfew and communication blackout.
The 90-year-old has been sick and put under house arrest over which Pakistan has expressed deep concern and termed it "unjustified" as he being in feeble health condition.
The resolution passed in the Senate of Pakistan has proposed the federal government to change the name of Pakistan University of Engineering Technologies (PUET) in Islamabad as Syed Ali Shah Geelani University of Engineering and Emerging Sciences (SGUEES).
"Include the lift and struggle of Syed Ali Shah Geelani in the educational curriculum at federal and provincial level and mobilize world conscience to help Gillani get best available treatment at a place of his choice," read the resolution.
Pakistan's step has come hours after Geelani's announcement to observe a strike on August 5 and August 15 in Jammu and Kashmir in protest against the abrogation of special status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
"August 5 is one of the darkest chapters of Kashmir. The day should be observed as an awareness day and the Kashmiri diaspora around the world should protest outside Indian embassies," Geelani said in a statement.
(Additional inputs from IANS)
