AJK to observe 31st death anniversary of Ghazi-e-Millat Syed Ali Ahmed Shah on March 21

MIRPUR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Mar, 2026) The 31st death anniversary of former Azad Jammu and Kashmir president Syed Ali Ahmed Shah, popularly known as Ghazi-e-Millat, will be observed across Azad Jammu and Kashmir on March 21 with due respect and renewed commitment to the Kashmir cause, official sources said on Monday.

Special ceremonies will be organized in Muzaffarabad, the capital of AJK, as well as in his ancestral city Mirpur, besides other towns, to pay glowing tributes to the veteran leader for his lifelong services to the Kashmir freedom movement. Participants will reaffirm their resolve to continue the mission of the late leader until the realization of the Kashmiri people’s aspirations.

The main ceremony will be held at the Mechanical Hall of the City Campus of Mirpur University of Science and Technology in Mirpur at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday under the auspices of the Syed Ali Ahmed Shah Memorial Society. The event will include Quran Khawani for the departed soul and speeches highlighting the services and leadership of the late Kashmiri figure, Secretary of the memorial society Syed Qaiser Shiraz Kazmi told APP.

On Sunday morning, people from various parts of AJK are expected to visit the mausoleum of the late leader in Mirpur to offer Fateha and prayers for the martyrs of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as for the early success of the Kashmir freedom movement.

Born in 1901 in old Mirpur city, Syed Ali Ahmed Shah received his early education in Mirpur and later studied at a mission school in Srinagar. He joined the British Indian Army in 1923 as a lieutenant and served for two decades before retiring. Following his retirement, he actively participated in the Kashmir freedom struggle before and after 1947.

In recognition of his significant contributions to the Kashmir cause and the development of the liberated territory, he was conferred the title Ghazi-e-Millat. He served as President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir from May 1950 to September 1951, leaving behind a lasting legacy in the region’s political and freedom movement history.

APP/ahr/378