Kashmiri separatist Mirwaiz Umar Farooq released from house arrest after 4 yrs, gets 'emotional' at Jamia Masjid

Srinagar, Sept 22: In a significant development, Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was released from house arrest on Friday, four years after he was taken into detention in the wake of the scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution in August 2019.

 

 

 

While delivering his first sermon and leading Friday prayers at Srinagar's Jamia Masjid after four years of house detention, he got 'emotional' amid huge uproar by his followers.

 

 

His release came days after he moved the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court.

 

Officials from the Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid -- the management committee of the mosque – said Mirwaiz was allowed to take part in the Friday congregational prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar’s Nowhatta.

In a statement, the officials said, "Senior police officials visited the residence of Mirwaiz on Thursday to inform him that the authorities have decided to release him from house detention and allow him to go to Jamia Masjid for Friday prayers."

 

The separatist was put under house arrest at his Nigeen residence on August 5, 2019 -- the day the BJP-led Centre abrogated the provisions of Article 370 and bifurcated the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories (UTs).

 

Political parties in Kashmir welcomed the release of Mirwaiz from his house arrest.

 

National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah expressed hope that Mirwaiz would be allowed to roam about freely, interact with people and resume his social and religious responsibilities. "I welcome the step taken by the administration in Jammu and Kashmir to release Mirwaiz from house arrest. I hope that they allow him to move freely, interact with people and resume his social/religious responsibilities. Today's eyes in Kashmir will be on Mirwaiz as he delivered his first Friday sermon in Jamia Masjid after 2019," the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister wrote on X.

 

 

Another former chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti, also welcomed Mirwaiz's release. "Finally, Mirwaiz walks as a free man after years of the LG administration's denial of his detention. As a religious head, he is held in high regard by Muslims across Jammu and Kashmir. Unfortunate that a tussle has already begun between BJP's various political outfits to claim credit for his release," the People's Democratic Party (PDP) president wrote on X.

 

 

Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri on Friday said that the congregational prayers led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq at historic Jamia Srinagar Masjid concluded peacefully.