Srinagar: Separatist Kashmir leader, Mirwaiz Moulvi Muhammad Umar Farooq has condemned action by the Jammu and Kashmir government for allegedly placing him under house arrest to prevent him from offering funeral prayers in absentia for his uncle Mirwaiz Moulvi Muhammad Ahmad Shah, who recently passed away in Pakistan.
Shah was the son of the Mirwaiz Moulana Muhammad Yusuf Shah, who was the uncle of Mirwaiz Molvi Farooq, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq's father.
In a video statement on X, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that a gathering was to take place at the family’s ancestral house Mirwaiz Manzil Rajouri Kadal, followed by a prayer in absentia ( nimaz e jinaza ) at the Central Jamia Masjid Srinagar for the deceased.
Mirwaiz expressed disappointment that he was barred from participating in the condolence assembly for the prominent figure and family patriarch whose passing away was widely condoled “and people from all over the valley wanted to come to express their condolences”.
“However, the administration not only closed the historic Mirwaiz Manzil Rajouri Kadal but also locked down central Jamia Masjid not allowing the absentia funeral prayer. In fact, officials of the Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid had been communicated that if a prayer in absentia took place, an FIR would be lodged by the authorities the statement said,” Mirwaiz said.