Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq on Friday claimed that the government was deliberately stalling Hurriyat leadership’s contact with people and such arbitrary measures won’t change the situation on ground. The authorities didn’t allow Mirwaiz to address Friday congregation at Jama Masjid in old Srinagar city of Kashmir, despite being informed that he was free to move out after almost 19 months, since August 5, 2019.“On Thursday morning some officials came to inform me that I was not under house arrest. They even told me to update them about the route plan to Jama Masjid later,” said Mirwaiz. However, on Thursday evening, he was informed that he was again under detention and couldn’t go to Jama Masjid. “I was looking forward to meeting and talking to people after such a long time. We are being deliberately isolated,” Mirwaiz told ET. He said that Hurriyat has nothing to hide and its principled stand and policy on Kashmir is absolutely clear. “We want a peaceful resolution of the core Kashmir issue. We believe in a dialogue process with all stakeholders,” said Mirwaiz.Hundreds of people had gathered at Jama Masjid to listen to Mirwaiz’s sermon, but his absence triggered a protest around the area and police and paramilitary forces were brought in to control the situation. The police officials also thrashed at least two journalists who were covering the protests.The Hurriyat Conference questioned the government’s decision of not releasing Mirwaiz from house detention and claimed that his residence has been turned into a garrison with additional deployment of police and paramilitary forces. “It is regrettable that the government went back on its decision,” read the Hurriyat statement.
The government had recently in the parliament stated that none in J&K was under house arrest. “If that is so why does Mirwaiz continue to be detained?” Hurriyat asked. The Hurriyat appealed to people not to lose hope and show patience and at no cost resort to any form of violent protest.Meanwhile, the Muttahida Majis-e-Ulema, a conglomerate of religious bodies, slammed the authoritarian policies of the administration. “Mirwaiz was not allowed by the authorities to even move outside his residence, which resulted in a massive peaceful protest,” read the statement. The possibility of Mirwaiz’s release from 19 months of house detention was seen as a silver lining in the frozen political space of J&K. The regional political parties including National Conference and People’s Democratic Party had welcomed the release of Mirwaiz as well.Mirwaiz was among over 7500 people including politicians, businessmen and activists who were detained or placed under house arrest to quell any protests in wake of the abrogation of special status of J&K and downgrading of the state into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
