~:Profile:~
Bashir Ahmed Sheikh (Gazi)
By Rashid Jemal Srinagar
The Senior most Commander of Al-Fatah Force(JK) Bashir Ahmed Sheikh nom de guerre Gazi, martyred on 13th February 2002, was born in Kalusa Bandipore(Baramulla) in a peasant family. This hamlet has remained an abode of some well known Kashmiri martyred commanders like Abdul Khaliq Ganai(Jemal Afghani) and Nazir Ahmed Shah. Shaheed Abdul Majeed Khan a former General Secretary of J&KPL also belonged to the same village.
Shaheed Bashir Ahmed Sheikh started his career in seventies of the last century and was inspired by Muhammad Farooq Rehmani Chairman J&K People’s League. In 1988 he joined the armed resistance movement against the Indian occupation forces. He was imprisoned several times by Police and became famous in Kashmir North. In1989, he was arrested and detained in Sangrore Jail of India. He spent some years in Rajasthan jail also. Bashir Ahmed Sheik was released in 1992 and became Chief Commander of the former Jihad Force. But, he was arrested in 1994 in Barzulla Srinagar. His arrest was declared as a major successes by the army spokesman in Srinagar. Now, he was forced to face ordeal in the torture centers of New Airport, SoG Cargo, Papa ii Dal Lake in Srinagar and finally shifted to the high security prison of Udhampore (Jammu). In 1999, he was shifted to Sopore and Bandipore Police Stations and released after a long period of detention under the orders of the JK High Court Srinagar. However, the authorities kept him under their strict vigil and prohibited his movement outside his local town Bandipore. He spent about nine years in different prisons and torture centers of J&K. Inspite of all these restrictions he worked for the cause of freedom under the Al-Fatah Force organization. Bashir Ahmed Sheikh attained martyrdom in fierce fight in village Watrinah Bandipore, along with other companions Shabir Ahmed Mir, Abdul Ahad Jan and Salim Khan. Rashtriya Rifles, BSF and Police Task Force had cordoned off an area of about three square Kms prior to this tragic episode. But, all the four patriots of Kashmir fought to the last bullet and sacrificed their lives for the sacred cause of freedom for Kashmir. They are the souls, the Kashmir will remember for ever.
On 13th February, the news of the martyrdom of these valiant Kashmiri Commanders shook the whole area like an earthquake and all the businessmen of the town put up the shutters to mourn the death of their beloved Mujahideen.
First of all the army took all the four dead bodies in their custody and fearing large scale public resentment, the dead bodies were buried under tight security in midnight.
Shaheed Commander Bashir Ahmed Sheikh was known for his integrity and honesty among all the people in his native town. He will be remembered for these qualities and Kashmiris will follow the foot prints of these great sons of the soil who sacrificed their today for our tomorrow.
Dated 03/03/2002
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