Srinagar, Nov 6: Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was barred from offering congregational prayers at the Jamia Masjid here on Friday as he remained under house detention, an official statement said.
“Mirwaiz continues to remain under house detention for nearly a week, with police deployment and barricades still in place outside his residence at Nigeen, preventing him from proceeding to the historic Jamia Masjid Srinagar to deliver the Friday sermon today,” the Mirwaiz’s office said in a statement.
The statement also claimed that the “continued restrictions” follow Mirwaiz’s address at the grand mosque last Friday, in which he referred to the recently published International Crisis Group report on Jammu and Kashmir, highlighting concerns over political prisoners, civil liberties and the need for meaningful political engagement and reconciliation.
“Since then, Mirwaiz has remained confined to his residence, preventing him from fulfilling his religious responsibilities, including addressing scheduled religious gatherings and leading the Friday congregation at Jamia Masjid,” the chief cleric’s office added.–(PTI)
