Born in Kupawara district in 1932, he graduated in Srinagar and went on to study law at the Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh state.

His first real political role came when he was elected a member of the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly in 1967 for the Congress Party, representing Handwara constituency.

He joined the state's council of ministers and served in various capacities as deputy, state and cabinet minister until 1972.

But the following year, he severed his links with the Congress Party as a result of growing differences and joined the Janata Party.

Separatist movement

In 1977, Abdul Ghani Lone was among the two Janata Party candidates who won seats in the state assembly despite a wave favouring the National Conference party.

He soon got disenchanted with the Janata Party and launched his own People's Conference party.

He joined the separatist movement in 1989, and went to jail in 1990.

On his release in 1992, Mr Lone travelled to the US, Britain and Iran for treatment.

It was in Iran that he met Hafiz Mohammad Sayeed, the man who later founded the militant group, Lashkar-e-Toyeba.

In 1993, he joined the Hurriyat Conference, the main political alliance of separatists in Indian Kashmir.

Differences

From then on, he was in the forefront of the separatist movement, and became known for his outspoken views.

It was a trait which his party colleagues say had earned him many enemies, and there were a number of attacks against him.

Although it is not clear who might be behind the killing, his party colleagues say this was a conspiracy to silence what they call "the saner voices in Kashmir."

Observers say the killing will be a setback to starting a political process to resolve the Kashmir issue because he was widely believed to be in favour of peace talks with the Indian government.

It was this approach that analysts say created serious differences within the Hurriyat movement.

There was even speculation in the Indian press that Mr Lone even supported the idea of participating in the forthcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir later this year to join the political mainstream.

But Hurriyat spokesmen have denied this.