Hurriyat Conference former chairman Abbas Ansari passes away in Srinagar

Hurriyat Conference former chairman Mohammad Abbas Ansari passed away at his residence in Kashmir's Srinagar City on Tuesday. Family sources said Abbas Ansari was not keeping well since long and over the couple of days his health deteriorated.

Srinagar: Founder and Chairman of Ittihadul Musilmeen and senior Hurriyat Conference leader Mohammad Abbas Ansari passed away after a prolonged illness at his residence in Khankhai Subah area of Nawakadal in central Kashmir's Srinagar city on Tuesday. Family sources said Abbas Ansari was not keeping well since long and over the last couple of days, his health deteriorated and he breathed his last at his residence today morning.

The funeral, as per family members, will be held after Zuhr (noon prayers) and the mortal remains would be laid to rest at Abbas Ansari's ancestral graveyard in Babamazaar Zadibal. Moulvi Abbas headed the separatist conglomerate Hurriyat Conference as Chairman in 2003.

And in 2004 under his leadership, Hurriyat started dialogue with the then BJP-led NDA government under the then deputy prime minister L K Advani. However, at that time, the dialogue process was opposed by hardliners like Hurriyat veteran late Syed Ali Shah Geelani.