Hurriyat (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was Sunday placed under house arrest hours ahead of his planned visit to the residence of Gowhar Nazir Dar at Zainakote in Srinagar.

A spokesman of the amalgam and media advisor of the Mirwaiz, Advocate Shahid-ul-Islam said that a heavy contingent of policemen arrived at the Nigeen residence of the chairman at 12:30 pm and placed him under house detention.

Condemning the detention, he said that Mirwaiz wanted to express solidarity with the family of Dar who died after being hit by a tear gas shell fired by paramilitary CRPF men on Nov 7.

“Mirwaiz was scheduled to reach Gowhar’s residence around Zuhr prayers,” said Islam.

“This government has broken all the records set by their predecessors. They have choked the space for pro-freedom groups which represent the real voice of Kashmiris,” he added.