Confined to his home with his immediate family members, Hurriyat chairman and Valley’s chief priest Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Thursday completed three years in house detention in Srinagar’s Nigeen area with no formal case against him.
A mobile bunker blocks the main entrance to the house and no unknown guest is allowed inside, a close aide of the Mirwaiz said. He was arrested on August 4, 2019, a day ahead of revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional position.
There are growing voices from the religious and political organisations in the Valley demanding his immediate release.
A Hurriyat spokesman said the authorities were “forcibly detaining the Mirwaiz in his house, which is a gross violation of all his fundamental and basic human rights”.
“All channels of communication are blocked to him and all outreach to people, friends and party cadre barred,” the spokesman said.
He said the Mirwaiz was being “punished for pleading the cause of resolution of the lingering Kashmir conflict through peaceful means of dialogue and deliberations, and good neighbourly relations in the subcontinent”.
“We appeal to the government of India to release all Kashmiri political prisoners unconditionally, including the Mirwaiz, and resume the process of conflict resolution through peaceful means, which is dialogue,” the spokesman added.
Meanwhile, Peoples Conference chief Sajad Lone also demanded that the Mirwaiz be released. He tagged Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Jammu and Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha in a series of tweets.
“They may differ politically but he inspires people as a religious head, who spearheaded the forces of moderation. The Mirwaiz has stuck to utterances which are moderate and represent the true essence of Islam. He has religious duties. His continued incarceration is a crime against him and against all those whom he inspires at a religious level,” Mr. Lone said, while calling the Mirwaiz “a victim of violence”.
“There are many wars in Kashmir. And in our real war he is an unapologetic moderate,” he added.
