Whether one admires Dr. Fai or chooses to overlook his contributions, one truth stands like a mountain against the storms of time: He is the living encyclopedia of the Kashmir dispute — a walking archive of pain, proof, and persistence. His strength does not lie in grand discourses but in the weight of evidence he carries in his hands and memory: century-old records, dying testimonies whispered from prison cells, legal arguments carved out of international conventions, and decades of meticulously preserved documentation that India wishes the world would forget.
Dr Fai does not rely on reliability and credibility- brings numbers that speak loudly, statistics that expose the Indian double game, and data that refuses to be buried. This precision — this cold, undeniable quantification of suffering — gives Kashmir’s story the intellectual, moral, and political force needed to pierce through the diplomatic glass walls of Washington, Brussels, Geneva, and beyond. At a time when alliances are shifting, when corridors of power grow indifferent, and when the voices of Kashmiri leaders are crushed behind the iron doors of Tihar and Pulwama, his diplomacy becomes an act of resistance — a refusal to let Kashmir be erased from the map of global conscience. In an age engineered for amnesia, he drags Kashmir back into the world’s memory with every document he carries, every meeting he attends, and every silent wound he represents. It is this unwavering resolve — this stubborn insistence on truth — that keeps Kashmir from disappearing into the darkness others have carefully designed
Dr Fai is born of the soil of Budgam, Kashmir, he carries within him a deep understanding of the conflict’s historical layers, political intricacies, and lived realities. Six decades of unbroken commitment to the Kashmir cause have given him a vantage point that few others possess. Three additional decades spent in the capital of the unipolar world have sharpened his instincts and widened his exposure to the corridors of global power — the places where moral causes without economic value often struggle for attention.Throughout these decades, Dr Fai has witnessed more than his share of personal tragedy. Kashmir’s wounds never healed, and there was hardly a day when a piece of painful news did not reach him. His parents and loved ones passed on, yet he never paused the mission. Hardships, setbacks, and betrayals were constants, but perseverance remained his companion.
Today, Dr Fai is among the most senior Kashmiri leaders with a sophisticated grasp of the geopolitical environment, especially in the altered landscape after 5th August 2019. He is clear-eyed in his assessment: all meaningful pathways to a just resolution of the Kashmir dispute run through Islamabad, for states remain the central actors in international politics. And the position of Washington — often shaped by the stability of its relations with Pakistan — can become a catalyst when that stability exists.
Despite the shrinking diplomatic space, he continues to engage ambassadors, diplomats, and policymakers from various countries — in Washington, at the United Nations, and on global platforms where Kashmir’s presence is often resisted. The current Indian regime reacts sharply even to the mention of Kashmir; still, he manages to keep the issue alive on the global radar. This is neither simple nor symbolic — it is a continuous struggle against silence.He always credits his team, especially those who walk beside him through the streets of Washington DC, appear with him on the sidelines of the UN, and assist in documenting every human rights violation in Kashmir. His bag of meticulously prepared material — reports, dossiers, testimonies, and analyses — has earned him respect even among diplomats who navigate issues strictly through data and credibility.Perhaps his most distinguishing quality is inclusivity. He maintained contact with every major Kashmiri leader — from late Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to Yasin Malik, Masarat Aalam, and Shabbir Shah. He never attempted to create a personal faction, even as factionalism became the new political norm in Kashmir. At a time when unity was most needed, he refused to add to the fragmentation. “They are the leaders,” he often said. “We are only their voice.”
Even his critics acknowledge his ability to absorb pressure with grace. His quiet smile in the tensest moments of turmoil has become part of his character — a mark of credibility in a space where egos often overshadow causes. His efforts to unite the Kashmiri diaspora continue, though the journey remains long. What makes his current visit to Islamabad particularly significant is the geopolitical environment: Pakistan is, for the first time, delicately balancing its relations with the United States, China, and through China, with Russia. This rare alignment creates a strategic opening for advancing the Kashmir cause.
Dr Fai has never allowed himself to slip into personal criticism. Neither in public statements nor in private conversations has he indulged in the politics of character negativity that has become the norm in fouling situations of the long struggle.
This dignified restraint — the ability to remain focused on the cause rather than individuals — is the foundation of his leadership. His calm, patience, and unbending determination have enabled him to bring together people from every ideological and political backgroundMeanwhile, inside Kashmir, the leadership has been silenced. Many are in Tihar Jail, others confined to isolation cells. In this vacuum, the diaspora remains the only remaining arena of political action. The responsibility, therefore, falls heavily on those who speak from outside — and on leaders whose endurance, clarity, and credibility have stood the test of time.
As history turns another page, the question is not merely about what he has done for Kashmir, but what his leadership means at a moment when Kashmiris have been isolated, muted, and denied political space.
This moment is more than a test of strategy — it is a test of leadership itself
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