Asgar Ali Karbalai

Haji Asgar Ali Karbalai (Urdu: حاجی اصغر علی کربلاءی‎ ) is a political and social leader from Kargil District. He has been the chief executive councillor of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil twice. As of Dec, 2014 he is a member of the Legislative assembly of Jammu and Kashmir. He is an influential member of the socio-religious organisation Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust, Kargil and is also affiliated with Indian National Congress. He is well known for his stirring speeches.

Early Life and Family

He is the son of Sheikh Ghulam Abass hailing from Bagh-e-Khumaini, Kargil. His father Ghulam Abass was in Karbala, Iraq to study Islamic theology. Karbalai was born in Iraq and did his basic schooling there. During the massacre of Shia Muslims in Iraq by Saddam Hussein, Karbalai along with his family migrated to his hometown Kargil.

Social and Political Life

He began actively participating in social activities after getting inspiration from the 1979 Iranian Revolution. By the year 2003 he had established himself on the socio-political front in the district. He was elected as a Councillor in the local administrative council - The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Kargil - from Poyen constituency. He had earlier been a member of the Kargil Progressive Alliance. He proposed the issue of granting Ladakh the status of Greater Ladakh, for the first time at an international platform, in a conference at London which was a new clause in the Kashmir issue. He is vocal about supporting the Kashmiris based on centuries of traditional, economic and religious ties but is stiffly opposed to the idea of separatism.

He was elected as a member of the first LAHDC Kargil (representing Poyen constituency) in 2003 and served as a councillor. He became the second chief executive councillor of LAHDC-Kargil as the previous government could not meet the majority seats and was toppled down soon. During the second term of LAHDC-Kargil he acted as the leader of the opposition party. During the third term of LAHDC-Kargil, he represented Pashkyum constituency and led his party to a second term. He won a majority and became chairman/CEC.

In 2014 he got elected as a member of the J&K Legislative assembly from the 49 - Kargil Assembly constitution.