Hurriyat claims govt went back on its decision to release Mirwaiz
Srinagar, March 5
The moderate Hurriyat Conference on Friday claimed that the Jammu and Kashmir authorities had gone back on their decision to release its chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq from preventive custody.
On Thursday, a close aide of Farooq had claimed that curbs on the movement of the Mirwaiz had been lifted. However, the administration neither confirmed nor denied it.
“The Hurriyat Conference expresses resentment and regret that after announcing the release of its chairman and Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Umar Farooq from a 20-month-long house detention since August 2019, the government authorities went back on their decision,” a Hurriyat spokesperson said on Friday.
The spokesperson claimed that police officials visited Mirwaiz at his residence on Thursday night to convey that he continued to be under house arrest and would not be allowed to go to the Jamia Masjid for Friday prayers.”Since early morning, additional forces have been deployed outside his house,” he alleged.The spokesperson said the Hurriyat condemned this flip-flop.
“Recently in Parliament, the Minister of State for Home Affairs had categorically stated that no one in Jammu & Kashmir was under house arrest. If that is so, then why does Mirwaiz continue to be detained,” he asked. However, the spokesperson appealed to the people not to lose hope and in no way resort to any form of violent protest.
Mirwaiz, who is also the chief priest of Kashmir, was among hundreds of political leaders — both separatist and mainstream — who were taken into custody or placed under house arrest as the Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 of the Constitution, 19 months ago. While most leaders were released by March last year, some, including Mirwaiz, continued to be under detention. — PTI
