Hashim Qureshi Biography 
Hashim Qureshi is one of the founding members of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF). He currently serves as the Chairman of Jammu Kashmir Democratic Liberation Party (JKDLP), associated with Kashmir Separation movement. JKDLP laid the foundation of Maqbool National Welfare Association (MNWA) in 1994 with the aim to help victims of militancy in the state. Hashim Qureshi was sentenced to 19 years imprisonment in connection to hijack of an Indian plane Ganga from Srinagar to Lahore (1971 Indian Airlines hijacking). His cousin Ashraf Butt was also involved with it. National news then, when India’s one of the oldest plane was hijacked by two teen cousins and later burnt by them, though didn’t cause any harm to its passengers. He was released on bail in December 2001. 'Kashmir: The Undeniable Truth' – is his latest published book.
Mohammad Hashim Qureshi was born on 1 October 1953 in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir. He schooled at Islamia School, Srinagar. Qureshi started his political struggle at an early age. Once in a trip to Pakistan he happened to meet Maqbool Bhat in 1969 in Peshawar, who brain washed him to join JKNLF. Maqbool worked for Kashmir liberation apart from highlighting it in the global frame. He chose Hashim Qureshi for the hijacking. At the age of 17 Hashim Qureshi, along with his cousin hijacked the Indian Airlines with a toy pistol and as instructed landed it in Lahore. 30 people including crew members were safe though one of the oldest planes, Ganga was was burnt on 1 February 1971 which triggered troop movement into erstwhile East Pakistan, now Bangladesh.
Maqbool and his friends received appreciation at first, through the hijack which caught global attention. But later hundreds of other members of JKNLF were arrested, interrogated in Shahee Qila, Lahore and Dolayee Camp near Muzaffarabad. Six of them were tried in a special court of Pakistan and Qureshi was sentenced to nineteen years' imprisonment. But he cleared the case after 7 years following an appeal and got released in 1980. Later he became one of the founding members of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front.
Published: N/A
Updated: March 06, 2016
