Mirwaiz completes 3 years in detention since Aug 4, 2019

Farooq Abdullah had been the first to be released, in March 2020, while Mufti was let off in October of that year.

Umar Farooq is also barred from giving the traditional Friday sermon from the pulpit of Srinagar’s historic grand mosque — a traditional religious seat held by the Mirwaiz family.

On Thursday, as he completed three years in house arrest, the Hurriyat Conference called for his release, terming his detention a “gross violation of fundamental rights”. Lone was among the only other leaders who sought Umar Farooq’s release, appealing to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha.

However, the government and police have maintained silence over the issue.

In a statement, the Hurriyat Conference said: “APHC (All Party Hurriyat Conference) strongly condemns this arbitrary, despotic and extrajudicial act of the authorities of forcibly detaining its chairman in his house, leading to gross violation of all his fundamental and basic human rights… All channels of communication are blocked to him and all outreach to people, friends and party cadres, is barred.”

The Hurriyat asked if Umar Farooq was being punished “for pleading the cause of resolution of the lingering Kashmir conflict through peaceful means of dialogue and deliberations, and good neighbourly relations in the subcontinent”.

The conglomerate added: “As Hurriyat, we have not only advocated this stand since our formation, but have actively supported and proactively participated in all initiatives taken in this direction as we firmly believe in this approach and outlook.”

An ardent supporter of resolution of the Kashmir dispute through dialogue, Umar Farooq has engaged with New Delhi multiple times over the issue. He led the separatist leadership that held talks with the then Home Minister L K Advani during the BJP-led NDA government under A B Vajpayee. Umar Farooq also led the Hurriyat delegation that initiated dialogue with then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The 49-year-old Umar Farooq was anointed Mirwaiz (or head priest) of Kashmir as a teenager, when his father Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq was killed by suspected militants in 1990. After the Hurriyat Conference was formed in 1993, he was appointed as its first chairman.

In its statement, the Hurriyat called for the release of other jailed political leaders and activists as well. “The jailing of the Kashmiri political leadership, cadres, activists, journalists, youth and people from different walks of life in jails across India, and using all forms of repressive measures to quell dissent or resistance, is a despotic approach to problem-solving, and futile in the long term, as has been observed in other conflict regions,” the Hurriyat said.

“We appeal to the government of India to release all Kashmiri political prisoners unconditionally, including APHC chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and resume the process of conflict resolution through peaceful means, which is dialogue,” it said.

Sajad Lone tweeted: “Spare a thought for Mirwaiz Kashmir. He is under continued detention… And none of us has talked about him. My apologies… We may differ politically but he inspires us as a religious head. A religious head who spearheaded the forces of moderation.”

Appealing to Amit Shah and Lt Governor Sinha, Lone added: “Mirwaiz Kashmir has stuck to utterances which are moderate and represent the true essence of Islam. He has religious duties. His continued incarceration is a crime against him and against all those whom he inspires at a religious level… He has himself been a victim of violence. Let it be known. There are many wars in Kashmir. And in our real war he is an unapologetic moderate.”