Salihu was born into a Gash family in Botushë, a village in the Highlands of Gjakova, at the time part of SAP Kosovo, SFR Yugoslavia.
[4] Jashar and his brother, Hajdar, were both distinguished for their political courage by openly opposing the attitudes and actions imposed by Serbia during its occupation of Kosovo.
He led a gathering at Verrat e Llukës on May 1, 1990, with 500,000 thousand people present, where 106 reconciliations would be reached - 62 blood feuds would be ended, and 25 blights and 19 entanglements would be resolved.
He was the chairman of the “Vendlindja Thërret” (Homeland Calls) fund which was based in Switzerland – he collected money from branches set up across Europe and North America, which would then be funnelled to the KLA.
He would have a talk in Red Lion Square in London on 5 July 1998, clarifying details and questions about the KLA and appealing for funds to help purchase arms and equipment.