Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Nov 11
Ruwa Altaf Shah, granddaughter of late separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani, is in discussions with the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) over a possible entry into mainstream politics, party president Mehbooba Mufti said.
“She (Ruwa) is like my daughter and PDP’s doors are open if she wishes to join us; she is welcome,” Mufti said.
Ruwa’s possible association with the PDP has drawn attention in Jammu and Kashmir because of her family background and her late grandfather’s prominent role in the separatist movement.
Ruwa has not publicly confirmed whether she intends to join the party or announced any timeline for a decision.
Her father, Altaf Ahmad Shah, popularly known as Fantoosh, died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi on October 11, 2022, while in custody.
Shah, who was Geelani’s son-in-law, was arrested by the National Investigation Agency in 2018 along with several other separatist leaders in an alleged terror-funding case. He was lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail.
In March 2024, Ruwa and Sama Shabir, the elder daughter of separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah, publicly distanced themselves from separatist politics and declared their allegiance to the sovereignty of India.
Ruwa issued a public notice disassociating herself from the Hurriyat Conference, founded by her grandfather, and said she had no inclination or sympathy towards its ideology.
“I am a loyal citizen of India, not affiliated with any organisation or association that has an agenda against the Union of India, and I owe allegiance to the constitution of my country,” she had said.
At the time, Mufti alleged that the families of separatist leaders were being pressured into publicly disowning their relatives and their political associations.
In a post on X, she compared the situation with the 1990s, when, she alleged, militants had forced political workers to disassociate themselves from mainstream politics.
Ruwa studied cinema and television in Turkey and has worked as a journalist with The Indian Express, Hindustan Times and the Indo-Asian News Service. She has also contributed articles to Al Jazeera.
The possibility of her joining the PDP drew reactions from political parties in the Union Territory.
National Conference provisional president Showkat Mir welcomed the prospect of members of families associated with separatist politics joining mainstream political parties. He said such a transition would have been desirable much earlier.
Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Altaf Thakur criticised the PDP, alleging that its political trajectory was similar to that of the Hurriyat Conference. He described the reported possibility of Ruwa joining the party as an issue that young people in Jammu and Kashmir should examine.
The political development comes amid differences within the ruling National Conference following the recent expansion of the council of ministers.
Aga Syed Ruhullah has parted ways with the party, while a group of around 16 to 18 legislators has reportedly expressed dissent over developments following the cabinet expansion.
