His son, Naseem Gilani, told Al Jazeera that Gilani was buried in a quiet funeral organized by authorities under strict restrictions.

He said the family had planned to bury him in the Central Martyrs’ Cemetery in Srinagar as per his will, but “they (police) snatched his body and forcibly buried him”.

“We told the administration that we would bury him at 10 am so that our relatives living in remote areas could attend,” Naseem said.

“But they forcibly took the body at 3 am and did not allow any of us to participate in the last prayer. They even argued with the women of the family who resisted taking her body,” he continued.

Naseem said that the family members were allowed to see Gilani’s grave at 10 am on Thursday. Authorities buried Gilani’s body and did not allow any large-scale funerals in anticipation of anti-India protests, the Press Trust of India news agency reported. Gilani, who died on Wednesday, had been ill for some time.

Among Kashmir’s most prominent political leaders, a Himalayan region claimed by both India and Pakistan but ruled in parts,  Gilani led for years an umbrella coalition of separatists, called the Hurriyat Conference. The coalition used civil disobedience startegies like shut downs and protests to counter India’s tyrannical rule in the region.

The Hurriyat leadership itself split over ideological differences in 2003 when Gilani along with some others announced the wish for Indian administered Kashmir to be merged in to Pakistan and walked out on moderates who wanted to hold discussions with New Delhi. His most enduring slogan “We are Pakistanis, Pakistan is ours”, is still imprimted on the minds of many a Kashmiri youth striving for independence.

Gilani vehemently opposed any talks with New Delhi, a position that was rejected by successive Indian governments, who often called him a hardline politician.

He was detained and incarcerated by India for more than a decade after leading several anti-India protests.

Around Gilani’s home and elsewhere in Srinagar, India’s armed soldiers set up main roads and checkpoints as authorities tried to quell protests after his death. A witness said the city’s main business area was deserted, most shops were closed and traffic was limited. Authorities also cut off internet connections and mobile networks in the Kashmir Valley late Wednesday.

The ban echoes the curfew and sanctions imposed in August 2019 by India when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi divided Jammu and Kashmir,then the country’s only Muslim-majority state into two federally administered territories thereby revoking the special status of Kashmir.

The shocking move in India administered Kashmir was opposed, including by Gilani, who left his Hurriyat Conference faction, saying it had failed to counter New Delhi’s efforts to strengthen its grip on the disputed region.

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