Kashmir’s noted educationist Agha Ashraf Ali dies at 98
Noted educationist and scholar, Dr. Agha Ashraf Ali passed away late last night at his residence in Srinagar at 11:45 pm. He was 98.
Born on 18 October 1922 in Nawa Kadal area of downtown Srinagar in Qizalbash family, Mr. Agha Ashraf grew up in upper-class feudal household with a rich legacy of excellence, reported a local newspaper. His mother Begum Zafar Ali, herself an educationist and legislator, was the first female matriculate of Kashmir.
Mr. Agha Ashraf is the father of a renowned Kashmiri-American poet late Agha Shahid Ali.
Mr. Agha Ashraf who tirelessly worked for the education of people of Kashmir was widely known as a public speaker. He spoke on history, education, culture, and contemporary politics. Agha was an ardent advocate of human rights of Kashmiris.
Notably, in 2002, when the then Governor G C Saxena nominated him to the state legislative council as Member of Legislative Council, Mr. Agha Ashraf refused the ‘honour’.
