Mirwaiz says house arrest prevented him from addressing Khawaja Digar gathering

In a statement, Mirwaiz said he was placed under house arrest and denied permission to address the annual religious gathering at the Khanqah-e-Naqshband Sahib shrine.

“Once again I have been denied permission to address the time-honoured religious gathering of Khawaja Digar in Naqshband Sahib today,” Mirwaiz said in a post on X, adding that tens of thousands of people were waiting to participate in the congregation.

He said he had been prevented from addressing religious gatherings in his capacity as Mirwaiz because of his political outlook and his raising of social and religious concerns.

“Preventing me from addressing congregational religious occasions ... is still unfortunate and shameful,” he said.

Mirwaiz also criticised the authorities for what he described as continued insensitivity towards the religious rights and practices of Muslims, saying that denying people the opportunity to hear his sermon and participate in the gathering was a matter of concern.

He urged all stakeholders, particularly the elected government, to safeguard the religious rights of Muslims in Kashmir and Jammu and “stand up to the powers” to ensure that such restrictions are lifted.