Srinagar, Sept 15 (KNS): Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid said that it is another Friday, taking the tally to 212 since last 4 years plus, when it’s president and Mirwaiz Kashmir Molvi Umar Farooq was not allowed to offer prayers mandatory Friday at central Jamia Masjid Srinagar and as Mirwaiz address the faithful there. Despite repeated appeals and requests from all quarters to the authorities, he is not being released from house arrest, which he was placed under way back on 4th of August 2019 when Article 370 was removed and the state bifurcated and downgraded to Union Territory.
Anjuman said that although state authorities claim that he is “not detained", yet he is neither allowed to move out of his house nor go to Jamia Masjid on Fridays for sermon and Namaz and there are restrictions on people to meet him as police and paramilitary personnel and vehicles are permanently stationed outside his entrance gates on both sides of his house who don’t allow him to move out.
Anjuman said that three weeks back a legal notice was send to the authorities to come clean on the status of his detention and release the Mirwaiz. But no written response was received to the notice.
As such, a writ petition was filed in the JK High Court by the legal team of the Mirwaiz, “seeking 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", Anjuman in a statement said.
The writ petition further requests the Hon’ble High Court that it may issue an appropriate writ or order, asking the respondents to lift the siege outside the residential house of the petitioner at Nigeen Hazratbal, Srinagar. It also submits that he be allowed to deliver his Friday sermons and lead the Friday religious prayers at Jamia Masjid, Nowhatta Srinagar, and removal of any impediments into the day-to-day life of the Mirwaiz including his free movement as a citizen, and allow him to avail the freedom and liberty guaranteed to petitioner under the Constitution. (KNS)