KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Chairman JKLF Muhammad Yasin Malik and head of his Hurriyat amalgam, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq were placed under house arrest.
“Police have besieged his residence and confined him to his room. Yasin sahib was not allowed to attend Eid prayers even,” a JKLF statement said Saturday.
Condemning “this undemocratic incarceration of Yasin Malik and other leaders even on Eid day”, the statement said, “India and its local puppets have unleashed a reign of terror against resistance camp.”
“Placing leaders under house arrest and denying them a chance to perform religious duties is a glaring example of frustration rulers are suffering from.”
In a statement, Hurriyat (m) spokesperson strongly condemned the continued house detention of the Mirwaiz on the auspicious day of Eid.
“For the last 6 years the Mirwaiz has been disallowed from offering congregational prayers on this important day. After fasting for a month Muslims are enjoined to gather and offer congregational prayers thanking Allah for the special blessings during the holy month of Ramzan. On this day it is mandatory for the Mirwaiz to offer Eid Khudbah at Eidgah, this is a tradition followed since centuries, hundreds and thousands of people await his important Khutba on this day. Not allowing the Mirwaiz to offer Eid prayers and Khutba is a deliberate interference with his religious duties and a blatant denial of the religious and social rights of the people of Kashmir. It is another evidence of how we live under military occupation.”
“Addressing the congregation at Eid Gah over the phone the Mirwaiz stressed that these restrictions are imposed to distance the leadership and the people as the government greatly fears their interaction and wants to muzzle the collective voice of the people,” the spokesperson added.
Mirwaiz reiterated that there is no option for the state but to address the Kashmir issue in accordance to the aspirations of the people of Kashmir. He said that our struggle for our rights will continue and these tactics will only further strengthen our resolve. He urged upon both India and Pakistan to initiate a meaningful and result oriented process to resolve this issue by involving the people of Kashmir whose destiny is at stake in this long standing political dispute. He expressed his concern about the recent flare up at the Line of Control and urged the two states to stop the firing immediately, so that the people can celebrate Eid peacefully.
