Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Alleges 'House Arrest' By Govt To Foil Funeral Prayers In Absentia For Late Uncle

In a video statement on X, Mirwaiz said that the government had house arrested him to prevent him from offering funeral prayers for late uncle.

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.

He said the J&K administration's “behaviour is not only tantamount to the deprivation of my personal freedom but has also deeply hurt the sentiments of the thousands of people who wished to express condolence and solidarity with him during this time of grief”.

Mirwaiz also questioned the “reality of the Lieutenant Governor's frequent claims of creating a "Naya Kashmir", saying such claims are hollow when a basic human right to condole collectively is suppressed and religious rites for deceased banned”.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, after the funeral prayer, Mirwaiz Moulvi Muhammad Ahmad Shah was laid to rest in Bahria Town, Islamabad.

Former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah on Monday went to the house of Mirwaiz Maulvi Muhammad Umar Farooq and extended condolences to the bereaved family, especially to Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir, Dr. Moulvi Mohammad Umer Farooq.