Crowd Gathers As Hurriyat Leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Attends Friday Prayers After 4 Years Of House Arrest

Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq attended Friday prayers at Srinagar's Jama Masjid after being released from four years of house arrest in Jammu and Kasmir.

Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq at Jama Masjid in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.

Source : X (@ANI)

Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq attended Friday prayers at Srinagar's Jamia Masjid first time in four years after being released from house detention on Friday (Sept 22). A large crowd of supporters was seen at the Jama Masjid shouting slogans welcoming Farooq and showering flowers on him. The separatist leader has been under house arrest since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Earlier, officials from the Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid -- the management committee of the mosque -- said he would be allowed to take part in the Friday congregational prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in the Nowhatta area.

"Senior police officials visited the residence of the Mirwaiz on Thursday to inform him that the authorities have decided to release him from house detention and allow him to go to Jamia Masjid for Friday prayers," the Auqaf said in a statement.

#WATCH | Mirwaiz Umar Farooq leads Friday prayers at Srinagar's Jamia Masjid pic.twitter.com/min4gUhCW6

— ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2023

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who heads various religious organisations and is the chairman of the separatist Hurriyat Conference, was released days after he moved the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. On September 15, the court gave four weeks' time to the Jammu and Kashmir administration to file its response to the Mirwaiz's petition.

The Hurriyat leader was put under house arrest at his Nigeen residence on August 5, 2019, the day the BJP-led Centre abrogated the provisions of Article 370 and bifurcated the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into Union territories. PTI SSB MIJ RC

Last week, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court had issued a notice to the union territory administration seeking its response on a petition filed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq over his house arrest since August 2019 following the abrogation of Article 370.

The separatist leader filed a writ petition in the high court “seeking an order, or direction upon the respondents (state authorities) to release the petitioner (Mirwaiz) from 'illegal and unauthorised detention' as the petitioner has been detained/ house arrested at his Nigeen residence without any order or authority in law”, news agency PTI reported.