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Ashraf Sehrai
Mohammad Ashraf Khan (23 March 1944 – 5 May 2021), chiefly known as Ashraf Sehrai or just as Sehrai, was a Kashmiri separatist leader and chairman of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, a Kashmiri separatist political party. He was elected chairman through a first-ever election conducted in the history of Hurriyat when Syed Ali Shah Geelani relinquished office due to his deteriorating health.
He had also served as general secretary and deputy chairperson of Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir. He was later appointed the head of its political division.
Sehrai was born in 1944 in Tekipora village of Lolab Valley in Baramulla district (presently the village is part of the Kupwara district, separated from Baramulla in 1970s) of Jammu and Kashmir to Shams-ud-din Khan. His ancestors had migrated from areas now part of modern-day Pakistan to Jammu and Kashmir. He also had two elder brothers. One of them was Muhammad Yousuf Khan, one of the founders of Tehreek-e-Islami, who died in 2016. The other was Qamar-ud-din Khan, a renowned member of Jamaat-e-Islami in the Lolab area who died in 2009.
As a student, he used to show interest in the religious and political discussions. He also had an interest in poems and literature, authoring writings as well as poems, most of which were published in "Azaan" and "Tulu" magazines. He started publishing Tulu in 1969 from Sopore. Sehrai commissioned articles, took care of its design as well as printing and also wrote for the column called Safa-e-Pakistan which covered the events happening in Pakistan. He and Syed Ali Shah Geelani dedicated a special issue to Allama Iqbal in which they both wrote lengthy columns against Kashmiri socialists and a writer called Ashia Bhat while also defending the magazine and Jamaat-e-Islami, after the magazine's claim of Iqbal not being a socialist led to a controversy.
Sehrai completed his primary education in his hometown Tekipora and secondary education in Sogam Lolab High School in 1959. After clearing his secondary examination, he moved to Uttar Pradesh where he received a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Urdu from Aligarh Muslim University.
He was the father of six children, including four sons and two daughters. His sons are named Khalid Ashraf, Rashid Ashraf and Mujahid Ashraf. His youngest son Junaid Ashraf Khan became a militant in March 2018 by joining Hizbul Mujahideen.
Sehrai had stated that he never expected Junaid to become a militant, but would not request him to return. Junaid later became Hizbul's divisional commander, but was killed in an encounter with the CRPF & Jammu and Kashmir Police on 19 May 2020. Sehrai personally led his funeral prayers attended by about 300 people despite the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Sehrai became an affiliate of Syed Ali Shah Geelani in 1959 after being encouraged to do so by his elder brother. He officially became a member as a "rukun" of Jamaat-e-Islami in 1960. Sehrai was jailed for the first time in 1965 over anti-government activities after he delivered a speech criticising Ghulam Mohammed Sadiq's government for repression of free speech and arrest of members of the Moh-e-Muqaddas Majlis-e-Amal. After he started focusing on the Tulu magazine, JeI cadres complained about him staying away from the activities of the organisation and the magazine was thus shut down in 1971.
Ashraf Sehrai
Mohammad Ashraf Khan (23 March 1944 – 5 May 2021), chiefly known as Ashraf Sehrai or just as Sehrai, was a Kashmiri separatist leader and chairman of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, a Kashmiri separatist political party. He was elected chairman through a first-ever election conducted in the history of Hurriyat when Syed Ali Shah Geelani relinquished office due to his deteriorating health.
He had also served as general secretary and deputy chairperson of Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir. He was later appointed the head of its political division.
Sehrai was born in 1944 in Tekipora village of Lolab Valley in Baramulla district (presently the village is part of the Kupwara district, separated from Baramulla in 1970s) of Jammu and Kashmir to Shams-ud-din Khan. His ancestors had migrated from areas now part of modern-day Pakistan to Jammu and Kashmir. He also had two elder brothers. One of them was Muhammad Yousuf Khan, one of the founders of Tehreek-e-Islami, who died in 2016. The other was Qamar-ud-din Khan, a renowned member of Jamaat-e-Islami in the Lolab area who died in 2009.
As a student, he used to show interest in the religious and political discussions. He also had an interest in poems and literature, authoring writings as well as poems, most of which were published in "Azaan" and "Tulu" magazines. He started publishing Tulu in 1969 from Sopore. Sehrai commissioned articles, took care of its design as well as printing and also wrote for the column called Safa-e-Pakistan which covered the events happening in Pakistan. He and Syed Ali Shah Geelani dedicated a special issue to Allama Iqbal in which they both wrote lengthy columns against Kashmiri socialists and a writer called Ashia Bhat while also defending the magazine and Jamaat-e-Islami, after the magazine's claim of Iqbal not being a socialist led to a controversy.
Sehrai completed his primary education in his hometown Tekipora and secondary education in Sogam Lolab High School in 1959. After clearing his secondary examination, he moved to Uttar Pradesh where he received a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Urdu from Aligarh Muslim University.
He was the father of six children, including four sons and two daughters. His sons are named Khalid Ashraf, Rashid Ashraf and Mujahid Ashraf. His youngest son Junaid Ashraf Khan became a militant in March 2018 by joining Hizbul Mujahideen.
Sehrai had stated that he never expected Junaid to become a militant, but would not request him to return. Junaid later became Hizbul's divisional commander, but was killed in an encounter with the CRPF & Jammu and Kashmir Police on 19 May 2020. Sehrai personally led his funeral prayers attended by about 300 people despite the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Sehrai became an affiliate of Syed Ali Shah Geelani in 1959 after being encouraged to do so by his elder brother. He officially became a member as a "rukun" of Jamaat-e-Islami in 1960. Sehrai was jailed for the first time in 1965 over anti-government activities after he delivered a speech criticising Ghulam Mohammed Sadiq's government for repression of free speech and arrest of members of the Moh-e-Muqaddas Majlis-e-Amal. After he started focusing on the Tulu magazine, JeI cadres complained about him staying away from the activities of the organisation and the magazine was thus shut down in 1971.