Kashmir’s chief cleric and Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was allowed to deliver Friday sermon at Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid after four long years . He stressed for a resolution of the Kashmir problem through dialogue and reconciliation as an alternative to violent means.
Under a heavy security cover, Mr. Farooq arrived at the Jamia Masjid around noon and was received by an emotional crowd of men and women, who threw garlands at him.
Mr. Farooq, who broke down while starting his Friday sermon from the pulpit for the first time since 2019, said, “Since August 2019, it has not been easy on you [people]. There have been assaults on our identity. The abrogation, downgrading of J&K into a Union Territory, dismemberment of Ladakh and the new laws and diktats were harsh, and unilateral decisions of disempowerment.”
