Kashmir’s chief cleric and Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Tuesday urged elected representatives led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah not to remain bystanders but to actively fulfil their responsibilities in safeguarding the basic rights of the people.
Mirwaiz voiced concern over the reported arrests of youth, many of whom have already completed their sentences.
“Repeated arrests of Kashmiris – many of whom have already completed their sentences- serve no justice. Youth are being targeted. Families of the arrested have reached out to me in distress. Such harassment deepens the wounds and fuels mistrust and anger among people. Urge the authorities to end this punitive approach,” Mirwaiz said in a post on X.
” Also, the elected representatives of the people cannot be bystanders to this; they need to fulfil their responsibility and ensure that basic rights of people are upheld,” he added.
Mirwaiz statement came days after J&K Police said that it invoked the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) against 23 “subversive and criminal elements inimical to the security and public order of the nation” in the Srinagar district and lodged them in various jails.
Meanwhile, Mirwaiz said that substance abuse is no longer merely a concern-it has turned into a full-blown crisis that is gravely endangering the lives and futures of Kashmiri youth.
He was addressing a student seminar titled “Building a Drug-Free Kashmir ? Role of Students and Society” at Islamia Higher Secondary School, Srinagar.
Mirwaiz stressed that while the efforts of Imams, scholars, civil society members, and families are crucial in awareness and prevention, the primary responsibility rests with the government.
The chief cleric said the absence of a coherent and urgent policy response reflects serious governmental negligence, despite mounting evidence of a growing social catastrophe.
“If we do not act now-if we do not decisively address this knot of unemployment, frustration, and the easy availability of drugs-we risk losing an entire generation,” Mirwaiz cautioned.
He also expressed concern about the increasing availability of liquor in the region, particularly under the guise of tourism development.
