Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): Kashmir separatist leader and Chairman of his faction of the separatist organisation Hurriyat, Mirwaiz Molvi Umar Farooq on Saturday returned to micro-blogging site X (formerly Twitter) after a gap of more than five years.
In an elaborate post on X, Mirwaiz wrote, “After more than 5 years, mostly spent under house detention, when J&K, in the August of 2019, went through the rude shock and humiliation of losing its semi-autonomous status, was broken into two parts, downgraded to a union territory followed by a no-holds-barred clampdown and communication blackout, I return to this platform with the same hope of peace and justice for the people of Jammu & Kashmir that I have always desired”.
“Despite increased challenges, the resolve for peaceful resolution of the conflict remains stronger than ever. Generations of Kashmiris have been consumed by the uncertainty. We want an end to it, a fair closure. India and Pakistan have a real opportunity at the upcoming SCO Summit to break the ice and engage constructively. Hope they heed to it,” he further added.
Interestingly, the Kashmir separatist leader disabled the comment option on his latest X post leaving his followers puzzled over possible reasons.
After more than 5 years, mostly spent under house detention, when J&K, in the August of 2019, went through the rude shock and humiliation of losing its semi-autonomous status, was broken into two parts, downgraded to a union territory followed by a no-holds-barred clampdown and…
— Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (@MirwaizKashmir) October 5, 2024
Mirwaiz's return to the virtual platform came a day after he led the congregational Friday prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in downtown Srinagar after a month of detention where he criticized the Jammu and Kashmir administration over the prolonged restrictions on his movement. He emphasized on Friday that he has never advocated for resolving the Kashmir issue through violence or through gun, adding that elections cannot be considered a solution to the long-standing dispute.
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