Masarat Alam Bhat
Masarat Alam Bhat (born 1971) is a Kashmiri Islamist activist and Political separatist leader of Jammu and Kashmir. He is currently serving as the chairman of the Jammu Kashmir Muslim League, and also serves as the interim chairman of Geelani faction of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference.
Masarat Alam Bhat | |
|---|---|
| Chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (Geelani faction) | |
| Assumed office 7 September 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Syed Ali Shah Geelani |
| In office 7 September 2003 – 15 September 2003 | |
| Preceded by | position established |
| Succeeded by | Syed Ali Shah Geelani |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 1971 Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India |
| Political party | Hurriyat (Geelani faction) Jammu Kashmir Muslim League |
| Other political affiliations | Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir |
| Alma mater | University of Kashmir |
| Occupation | Kashmiri separatist leader |
| Website | www |
Bhat was appointed as the interim chairman of the Geelani faction of Hurriyat after the death of Syed Ali Shah Geelani. He played a significant role in the 2010 Kashmir stone pelting rallies which broke out against the Machil encounter carried out by the Indian Army in Kashmir. Government has booked Masrat Alam in 27 criminal cases but in most of these he has either been exonerated or bailed out by the courts and was released after Mufti Mohammad Sayeed took over as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on 1 March 2015.
Bhat was detained under the controversial Public Safety Act and was in March 2015 released which caused a major political controversy and dominated Indian Parliament Proceedings. Amid speculations over his release Masrat Aalam said that no deal was made between him and the Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, saying "I spent more than four years in prison and during all these years I challenged the grounds of my 'illegal' detention". He has been Jailed for 17 years and has around 27 cases against him.