Hurriyat leader Syed Geelani leaves Tehreek-e-Hurriyat

Srinagar, Mar 19 Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Monday has resigned as the director of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat.

Senior Hurriyat leader Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai supplanted Geelani as the chairman of the party.

"The Tehreek-e-Hurriyat drove by Syed Ali Geelani today held a meeting at its office in Srinagar and chose senior member Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai as the party chairman," said a representative.

Geelani has been seen as a key separatist leader in Kashmir Valley and has been vocal on advocating Kashmiri separatism.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah has since a long time ago pointed the finger at Geelani for the ascent in militancy and carnage in Kashmir Valley, while Omar's dad and previous Union Minister Farooq Abdullah has encouraged Geelani to take after a way which would "save Kashmiri people from further destruction".

He was a MLA from the Sopore constituency of Jammu and Kashmir three times. (1972, 1977 and 1987)