ISLAMABAD, Apr 23 : A wife of incarcerated All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leader Ayaz Akbar died in Srinagar after protracted illness.

The deceased, Rafeeqa Begum, was suffering from cancer for the last 8 years. She passed away on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, Kashmir Media Service reported.

Her Nimaz-e-Janaza was held on Friday at her residence in Maloora HMT area of Srinagar.

Despite Covid-19 restrictions, hundreds of people including liberation leaders Noor Mohammad Kalwal, Muhammad Ahsan Untoo, Mohammad Yasin Butt, Muhammad Ashraf Laya, Syed Zahoor Gilani and Abdul Ghani Butt participated in her Nimaz-e-Janaza.

Ayaz Akbar is facing illegal detention in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail since 2018.

The infamous Indian National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested Ayaz Akbar and dozens of Hurriyat leaders including Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Masarat Aalam Butt, Aasiya Andrabi, Naheeda Nasreen, Fehmeeda Sofi, Altaf Ahmed Shah, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Merajuddin Kalwal, Pir Saifulla, Shahid-ul-Islam, Farooq Ahmad Dar, Syed Shahid Yousuf Shah, Syed Shakeel Yousuf Shah and Zahoor Ahmad Watali on fake cases to silence democratic and freedom voice of Kashmiris.