J&K: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to offer Friday prayers in Srinagar

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], September 22 (ANI): Hurriyat leader and cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq will be allowed to offer Friday prayers after four years of “house arrest”, the management of Kashmir’s grand mosque- Jamia Masjid said in a brief statement.

“Mirwaiz Umar Farooq will be allowed to offer Friday prayers at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid after 4 years of house arrest,” the statement said.

Mirwaiz Manzil, which identifies to be the Centre of religious and political discussions, posted on Twitter, which is now X, “After FOUR years (212 Fridays) of illegal & arbitrary incarceration, Mirwaiz Kashmir will today offer congregational Friday prayers & deliver sermon at Jama Masjid Srinagar”.

Mirwaiz Umar has repeatedly alleged that he has been put under house arrest by the police after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

However, contradicting his statement, Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha told the media in Srinagar last month that Umar Farooq was a “free man and not under detention”.

Earlier in August, the Centre celebrated the fourth anniversary of its decision to abrogate Article 370 and bifurcate the erstwhile state into two Union territories- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Umar Farooq is the son of Mirwaiz Maulvi Farooq who was killed on May 21, 1990, by terrorists of Hizbul Mujahideen.

Earlier in May this year, Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh said that the State Investigation Agency (SIA) of Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested two absconding terrorists of Hizbul Mujahideen in the case. 

The arrested terrorists Javaid Ahmad Bhat and Zahoor Ahmad Bhat were residents of Srinagar. They were absconding after murdering Mirwaiz Farooq on May 21, 1990.