J&K: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq released from house arrest after 4 yrs, to take part in Friday prayers at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid

Srinagar, Sep 22 (PTI) Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was released from house arrest on Friday, four years after he was taken into detention in the wake of abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution in August 2019, officials said here.

The Mirwaiz will be allowed to take part in the Friday congregational prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in the Nowhatta area here, the officials from the Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid — the management committee of the mosque — said.

“Senior police officials visited the residence of the Mirwaiz on Thursday to inform him that the authorities have decided to release him from house detention and allow him to go to Jamia Masjid for Friday prayers,” the Auqaf said in a statement.

The release of the Mirwaiz, who heads various religious organisations and is the chairman of the separatist Hurriyat Conference, comes days after he moved the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

The court, on September 15, gave four weeks’ time to the Jammu and Kashmir administration to file its response to the Mirwaiz’s petition.

The Hurriyat leader was put under house arrest at his Nigeen residence on August 5, 2019 — the day the BJP-led Centre abrogated the provisions of Article 370 and bifurcated the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into Union territories.