MUZAFFARABAD: Ambassador Yusuf Buch was laid to rest on the compound of the mausoleum of former Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Mirwaiz Maulvi Mohammad Yousuf Shah here on Wednesday evening.

Earlier, his funeral prayers were offered at the University College Ground, with AJK’s acting president Shah Ghulam Qadir, Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider, parliamentary Kashmir committee chairman Syed Fakhar Imam, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, Peoples Party AJK chapter president Chaudhry Latif Akbar, AJK senior minister Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf senior vice president Khawaja Farooq Ahmed, Washington-based Kashmiri activists Ghulam Nabi Fai, Sardar Sawar Khan, All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leaders Syed Yousuf Nasim and Ghulam Mohammad Safi and a large number of government officials and common men among the mourners.

Mr Buch, 97, had died in New York on Friday evening after a long illness.

His funeral was also offered in a New York mosque on Monday and his body was flown to Pakistan to be buried in Muzaffarabad in accordance with his last will.

The body was received at Islamabad airport by secretary Kashmir Liberation Cell Mansoor Qadir Dar and divisional commissioner Chaudhry Imtiaz Ahmed, on behalf of the AJK government.

Speaking at the funeral congregation, speakers paid glowing tributes to Mr Buchfor selflessly serving the cause of Kashmir throughout his life.

“I have no qualms about saying that hardly anyone in this region would match his scholarly skills,” said Mr Imam.

He recalled that he had met Mr Buch in Lahore a few years ago, where the latter asked him to work for Kashmir.

“I had told him that one day I will put my share but only under your guidance. Today I have got the portfolio of Kashmir but Buch sahib is no more...Honestly speaking no one can guide us the way he could have,” he said.

“If we can adopt even a whit of his wisdom, approach, philosophy and way of action, I am sure freedom and independence of Kashmir will not be too far,” he added.

Senator Hussain said Mr Buchwas the intellectual legend who had encyclopaedic knowledge of the Kashmir issue, to which he was himself an active witness and participant.

He recalled that he met him for the first time as a student and then he became his fan and friend.

“None of my US visits would be complete without a sitting with Buch sahib, with the courtesy of Mr Fai,” he said.

He recalled that a few weeks ago he received a message of Mr Buch through Mr Fai wherein he had asked him to ensure his presence in his funeral.

“When I heard this message I surprisingly asked why to talk of the funeral when Mr Buch is fit and fine. But Mr Fai told me that Buch sahib was not feeling well and today I am here in Muzaffarabad in respect of his wish.”

Mr Syed asked the AJK government to convene a ‘National Kashmir Conference’ in memory of Mr Buch, establish ‘Yusuf Buch Chair’ in the AJK University and grant an international scholarship every year to a talented student for research on Kashmir.

The suggestions were endorsed by Prime Minister Haider in his speech, who said the dream of Mr Buch and all Kashmiris — freedom of Kashmir - would soon come true, because the sacrifices offered by the Kashmiris for the purpose were unprecedented.

PPP president Akbar, PTI leader Ahmed, Mr Fai, Mr Safi, Mr Nasim, Zahid Amin, Raja Sajjad and others also spoke.

The funeral prayers were led by Mr Safi, following which a police contingent presented salute to the coffin of Mr Buch, drapped with the flags of Pakistan and AJK.

Later, the burial took place on the compound of mausoleum of Mirwaiz, which is adjacent of the mausoleum of K. H. Khurshid, also a former AJK president.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2019