SRINAGAR: Abdul Aziz Bhat, a veteran of the erstwhile Plebiscite Front and one of Kupwara’s oldest National Conference workers, passed away on Monday at his home in Poshpora Trehgam. He was 85. He was Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah’s jailmate.
According to his son, Bashir Ahmad, Aziz succumbed to multiple organ failure after being hospitalised for 11 days in November due to oesophageal cancer. “He passed away peacefully yesterday evening,” Bashir said.
Aziz was a prominent figure in the Plebiscite Front led by the then-JKNC leaders during the 1970s. “In 1971, he went underground for six months to evade arrest for his involvement in the Front,” said his son Riyaz Ahmad, who currently serves as a block convenor for the National Conference. “He was eventually arrested in Srinagar and jailed for three months. During this time, he was closely associated with former minister Ghulam Qadir Mir and Khalida Shah, the sister of former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah.”
Social activist Abid Qadri, who knew Aziz, described him as a pivotal figure in north Kashmir’s political and social development. “He played a vital role in the plebiscite front and contributed significantly to community initiatives, including education and the reconstruction of the Asar-e-Shareef Hazratbal shrine,” Qadri said.
Aziz is remembered not only for his political activism but also for his dedication to local development. He is survived by his wife and five sons, all of whom are settled. Among them is his grandson, Tahir Bhat, a journalist and Chief sub-editor at the Delhi-based newspaper Patriot.
