Srinagar, In a move that has drawn sharp criticism, authorities in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir have once again placed Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a senior leader of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, under house arrest, barring him from attending and leading the mandatory Friday prayers at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Anjuman Auqaf, in a statement issued in Srinagar, condemned the repeated house detention of Mirwaiz, stating that the action was taken to prevent him from reaching the Jamia Masjid where a large congregation was expected to attend his sermon. The organization detailed that a significant police presence was established outside his residence early in the morning, effectively detaining him within his own home.
This recent restriction follows a pattern of limited freedom for the Mirwaiz, who, since his release from an earlier spell of house arrest in September last year, has been permitted to deliver Friday sermons at the mosque on only three occasions.