K H Khurshid remembered in PaK

NISAR AHMED THOKAR

Islamabad, Mar 11: The death anniversary of veteran Kashmiri leader K H Khurshid was observed in Pakistan administered Kashmir on Sunday.
 It was for the first time in the history of the region that the former president’s anniversary was observed officially.
 To mark the 24th death anniversary of the deceased leader, a function organised by Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Cell was held at Muzaffarabad, which was attended by people hailing from different walks of life and addressed by the cabinet minister Abdul Majid Khan, President Liberation League Justice (retired) Majeed Malik and others.
 While paying tributes to the veteran leader, the speakers said Khurshid-e-Milat would be remembered in the annals of Kashmir history for a long time for his meritorious services and remarkable contribution towards Kashmiris’ cause. Terming Khurshid as man of principles, they said that during his tenure as the president of PaK he worked painstakingly and selflessly to safeguard fundamental rights of the people of the region besides strengthening democratic institutions in the region.
 They said that the deceased leader for the first time in 1960 introduced local government system and gave the people of the region the right to choose the representatives of their own choice. They said that during his whole life the former president struggled for the peoples’ rights as well as the national-identity of the state.
 They said that the visionary leader’s role would serve as a beacon of light for all those who believe in truthfulness, honesty and uprightness.
 The speakers also appreciated the incumbent regime’s decision to observe death anniversaries of renowned Kashmiri leaders at government level saying that such traditions would help to bridge the prevailing trust deficit
 Pertinently, Chudhary Abdul Majeed led government in the region had recently announced that the death anniversary of Khurshid-ul-Hassan Khurshid and other prominent leaders including Sardar Muhammad Ibraheem Khan, Mirwaz Muhammad Yousuf Shah and Muhammad Maqbool Bhat would be observed at official level as a mark of respect and tribute to the services and sacrifices rendered by them.

BACKGROUND Born into a modest middle-class family of Srinagar in 1924, Khurshid received early education from his hometown and completed Bachelors Degree from Amar Singh College Srinagar.
 Qaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the man who changed the course of history picked up the Srinagar youth as his personal secretary when he was hardly 20 years old. Khurshid earned Bar-at-Law degree from prestigious Lincolns’ Inn in 1953.
 Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Former Prime Minister of Pakistan and Margaret Thatcher, the ex-Prime Minister of Britain were amongst his contemporaries.
 In 1955 Khursheed was married to his cousin Sorraya. In 1956 he was appointed as the Foreign Publicity Advisor by the government of PaK. In 1959, Khurshid was appointed as president of Pakistani administered Kashmir.
 In the meantime he established his own political party, Jammu Kashmir Liberation League, which is now being headed by renowned jurist Justice (retired) Abdul Majeed Malik.
 In 1964, after quitting the presidency, Khurshid started his political activities from the same platform.
 In 1965, when Ms Fatimah Jinnah decided to contest elections against Field Marshal Ayoub Khan, Khurshid had great regard for Jinnah’s only sister and spearheaded her election campaign.
 Following the death of Ms Jinnah in 1967, Khurshid besides engaged in politics started practicing law in Lahore High Court. He also participated in the parliamentary elections in 1970 and 1985. He had the honour to be the first elected president of Pakistan admitted Kashmir.
 Khurshid died at the age of 64 (11th March 1988) in a road accident while travelling in a Lahore bound public van near Gujarat (Pakistan).