Hurriyat chief Umar Farooq placed under house arrest, barred from leading Friday prayers in Srinagar

Kashmir’s chief cleric and Hurriyat Conference Chairman Umar Farooq was placed under house arrest on Friday and barred from offering congregational prayers at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid, reported The Indian Express.

Farooq is the fourteenth mirwaiz of Kashmir, a hereditary institution of priests in the region.

“Mirwaiz, who is Kashmir’s chief cleric, was kept in detention at his residence in Nigeen area of Srinagar,” the newspaper quoted an official statement.

Farooq was scheduled to visit the Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta locality to offer Friday prayers and deliver a sermon, a regular weekly practice at the historic mosque.

This comes days after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs banned the Awami Action Committee, the political outfit led by Farooq, as well as the Jammu Kashmir Ittihadul Muslimeen led by Masroor Abbas Ansari, for five years. Both groups were accused of anti-national activities, supporting terrorism and fuelling secessionist activities.

The two parties are constituents of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, an umbrella body formed in 1993 to provide a political platform for Kashmiri separatism.

Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid, the managing body of the mosque, condemned the move and stated: “This arbitrary and unjustified move by the authorities comes during the holy month of Ramzan, a month of immense spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide.”

The managing body said that barring the “Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir” from...

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