Ch Ghulam Abbas: A pro-Pakistan Kashmiri leader
KASHMIRIS around the globe observe the death anniversary of Chaudhary Ghulam Abbas on 18 December.
Chaudhary Ghulam Abbas was a well known leader of Kashmir and was also called as Rahees-Al- Ahrar & Quaid-e-Kashmir by people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Chaudhary Ghulam Abbas was born to a middle class Rajput family of Chaudhary Nawab Khan on 4th February 1904 at Jammu.
He graduated from the Prince of Wales College, Jammu. He received his law degree from the Lahore Law College and started his career as a lawyer in Jammu.
He was offered a position of Sub-Judge but he refused to serve the Dogra Raj in Kashmir. Chaudhary Ghulam Abbas campaigned for the affiliation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan.
He showed selfless love for Pakistan and was a great supporter of affiliation of the State with Pakistan.
He arrived in Pakistan after the transfer of prisoners in 1948 when the ceasefire in the Kashmir conflict took effect and served the Azad Kashmir government till 1951.
He presented the case of Pakistan in the United Nations along with Muhammad Ibrahim Khan when India took the Kashmir issue there.
The United Nations ended up drawing the cease-fire line to stop the fighting. One can never forget the freedom struggle of Chaudhary Ghulam Abbas as he is one of the leaders who raised the voice for the liberation of Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir and dedicated his life for the liberation of Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir.
Chaudhary Ghulam Abbas enthusiastically campaigned for the affiliation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan.
In 1951, he resigned as head of the Azad Kashmir government and did not participate in government politics after that.
He was the supreme leader of the Muslim Conference, the party controlling the Azad territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
He was appointed as the Vice President in the refugee aid committee that Jinnah had made as Governor General.
He was a great debater and king of table talk of his time and even considered more intelligent than Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah in the light of views made by some British researchers.
He was a great lover of Pakistan, who welcomed warmly Quaid-i-Azam M A Jinnah at Sirinagar in May 1944.
He became very much close to the Quaid and was considered his close friend. He worked day and night to mobilize the government and people of the Azad Kashmir (base camp) as well as the refugees settled in parts of Pakistan to continue the movement for freedom of remaining part of Jammu and Kashmir.
He continued his struggle to achieve the goal of freedom of occupied Kashmir & accession of complete State of Jammu & Kashmir with Pakistan until his death on 18 December 1967.
He was buried at Faizabad at the junction of Rawalpindi & Islamabad in accordance with his will which shows his deep love for Pakistan.
Pakistanis and Kashmiris salute Chaudhary Ghulam Abbas for his services for the Kashmir cause and his deep affection with Pakistan. May his soul rest in peace.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Muzaffarabad.
