Placed under house arrest for third consecutive Friday of Ramzan, says Mirwaiz Umar Farooq

Says he was prevented from delivering a sermon at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid

Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday alleged that he was placed under house arrest for the third consecutive Friday during Ramzan, preventing him from delivering the congregational sermon at Jamia Masjid. He also shared pictures of armed forces personnel deployment outside his residence.

In a statement, Mirwaiz said the restrictions were “arbitrary” and not communicated in writing, but enforced through heavy deployment of police personnel outside his residence. He claimed that security vehicles, barricades and concertina wires were placed across lanes and entry points, restricting movement in the area.

He said the measures were aimed at stopping him from addressing worshippers, adding that such actions reflected “panic” among authorities. Mirwaiz further alleged that religious institutions like Jamia Masjid have historically faced curbs, which he described as attempts to undermine Muslim identity.

Asserting that such restrictions would not weaken faith or identity, he said these measures would ultimately fail.