Kashmiri Leader Barrister Sultan Mehmood Passes Away at 73

News Desk 

Mirpur: Veteran Kashmiri leader and President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry, passed away in an Islamabad hospital on Saturday.

He was 73, family and official sources confirmed.

According to APP correspondent, Barrister Sultan breathed his last in Islamabad after a brief illness. His funeral prayers will be offered on Sunday at 4:00 pm at the Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Born in 1953 in Chechian, Mirpur, Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry received his early education in his hometown. He completed his matriculation from Rawalpindi and graduated from Gordon College. He later obtained a Bar-at-Law degree from the United Kingdom.

After returning to Pakistan in 1983, he joined active politics and went on to play a pivotal role in Azad Kashmir’s political landscape for several decades. During his long political career, he served as Prime Minister of AJK as well as Leader of the Opposition, and was elected nine times as a member of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly from Mirpur.

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Barrister Sultan was elected President of AJK in 2021 and was widely known for forcefully raising the Kashmir issue at international forums. He actively highlighted the Kashmiri cause by staging rallies and demonstrations in front of the United Nations, European Union and various institutions in the United States, and led large-scale Kashmir marches in major cities including London, New York, Brussels, Dublin and Berlin.

President expresses grief over death of Barrister Sultan

President Asif Ali Zardari Saturday expressed deep sorrow and grief over the death of Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry.

The President prayed to Allah Almighty to grant the deceased a high place in Paradise.

The President also expressed his condolences to the bereaved family, while describing the national and political services of the late leader as valuable.

PM Shehbaz Condoles Death of Barrister Sultan Mehmood

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday expressed deep grief and sorrow over the demise of President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry.

In a condolence message, the prime minister prayed for the elevation of the departed soul’s ranks and for patience and fortitude for the bereaved family. He described the late Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry as a wise, seasoned and principled politician.

The prime minister said that Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry devoted his entire life to the service of the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and their just cause.

“Today, the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir have lost a great leader in the form of Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry,” the prime minister said.

PM Shehbaz Sharif said that the late leader consistently raised a strong voice for the Kashmir cause and against Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir, adding that his services for the Kashmiri people and his struggle for their right to self-determination would always be remembered in history.