All Parties Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Monday alleged that he was placed under house arrest by the government and didn’t allow funeral prayers In absentia for his late uncle.
The Hurriyat chief’s uncle Mirwaiz Moulvi Muhammad Ahmad Shah, recently passed away in Pakistan. Shah was the son of Mirwaiz Moulana Muhammad Yusuf Shah, who was the uncle of Mirwaiz Molvi Farooq.
In a statement, Mirwaiz strongly condemned the actions of the powers for once again placing him under house arrest and preventing him from attending a condolence gathering
The statement said the gathering was to take place at the family’s ancestral house Mirwaiz Manzil Rajouri Kadal, followed by a prayer in absentia ( nimaz e jinaza ) at the Central Jamia Masjid in Srinagar for the deceased.
“The administration not only closed the historic Mirwaiz Manzil Rajouri Kadal but also locked down central Jamia Masjid not allowing the absentia funeral prayer. Infact, officials of the Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid had been communicated that if a prayer in absentia took place, an FIR would be lodged by the authorities,” the statement said.
Mirwaiz said the J&K administration’s behaviour is not only “tantamount to the deprivation” of his personal freedom but has also deeply hurt the sentiments of the thousands of people who wished to express condolence and solidarity with him during this time of grief.
He also questioned the “reality of the Lieutenant Governor’s frequent claims of creating a “Naya Kashmir”, saying such claims are hollow when a basic human right to condole collectively is suppressed and religious rites for deceased banned.”
Meanwhile, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti on Monday went to the house of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and extended condolences to the bereaved family.
Mufti said it was distressing that Mirwaiz Umar was barred from attending the funeral .
She questioned the government’s actions, suggesting they only serve to remind the people of Kashmir of their exclusion from a democratic nation.
