Mirwaiz under house arrest for a week, barred from Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid
SRINAGAR — Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has remained under house arrest for nearly a week and was prevented from attending Friday prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar on Friday, his office said.
In a post on X, the Mirwaiz office said police personnel were deployed outside his residence in Nigeen and barricades had been erected, preventing him from reaching the mosque to deliver the Friday sermon and lead the religious gathering.
Expressing disappointment over the restrictions, Mirwaiz said the continued house arrest had deprived him of the freedom of movement and expression.
“These arbitrary and authoritarian measures that deprive us of the freedom of movement and expression of opinion negate the official narrative of ‘normalcy’ in Kashmir,” he said in the post.
The restrictions have reportedly been in place since last Friday, following his address at Jamia Masjid, during which he referred to a recently published International Crisis Group report on Jammu and Kashmir. The report highlighted concerns over political prisoners, civil liberties, meaningful political engagement and reconciliation.
His office said the continued restrictions had prevented him from discharging his religious and official responsibilities, including addressing scheduled religious gatherings and delivering sermons at Jamia Masjid. — (KIMS)
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