Sheikh Nazir was the son of soil; He helped Maqbool Bhat to cross the Border:Inqalabi

Srinagar, Feb 24: National Conference stalwart Sheikh Nazir who died at the age of 84 on Tuesday morning had a soft corner for late Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Muhammad Maqbool Bhat who was executed in Tihar Jail in 1984.
Vetern pro-freedom leader and patron Jammu Kashmir Mahaz-e-Azadi, Azam Inqalabi informed News agency that it was Sheikh Nazir who guided and helped Shaheed Muhammad Maqbool Bhat to cross the border in 1978. “Maqbool Bhat had a firm trust in Sheikh Nazir. When Jammu Kashmir Police was hunting for Bhat and his space in Kashmir was shrinking, Sheikh Nazir helped him to cross the border. Sheikh Nazir not only guided Maqbool but also provided the names of persons living across border and informed him to approach them for any help,” Inqalabi said.
“Be ralistic and pragmatic. Let us accept this fact that he (Sheikh Nazir) was the son of the soil whose statements revealed that he wanted to relieve the people of Kashmir from pain and had been always urging upon India and Pakistan to reslove the long pending Kashmir problem,” he said adding that Nazir was the nephew of Sheikh Abdullah but the later always treated him like his son just because Nazir was obedient, truthful and transparent.
Recounting the days in 1970 when he returned from Pakistan administered Kashmir, Azam Inaqlabi said that soon after his return from PaK, he was arrested by Indian security agencies and was handed over to Kashmir Police. “It was Sheikh Nazir who came forward to help us. Being an advocate, he voluntarily pleaded our case and did not charge a single penny from us. I along with my friend Muhammad Maqbool Ganaie, who retired as Director Excise were languishing in jail and Sheikh Nazir pleaded our case in court and ensured our freedom,” he said adding that, “it was the pro-pakistan and pro-Kashmiri sentiment that forced Nazir to fight for our justice.“ (CNS)