Srinagar: The Hurriyat Conference on Thursday demanded the release of its chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, saying his fundamental rights and civil liberties stand completely curbed for the last two years.
The demand for the release of Mirwaiz was made following a meeting of the executive committee of the Hurriyat Conference held at the residence of Bilal Gani Lone.
“Hurriyat Conference executive members seek his (Mirwaiz’s) immediate release from illegal arbitrary house detention by the state authorities,” the amalgam said in a statement.
They appealed to all rights activists, organisations, and democracies of the world to ensure the Mirwaiz’s release and “restoration of his human rights”.
The Hurriyat Conference said its executive members Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat, Bilal Lone and Masroor Abaas Ansari were denied permission to meet the Mirwaiz at his Nigeen residence where he is under house arrest since August 05, 2019 following the Centre’s decision to revoke special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
“The executive members strongly condemned their chairman’s continued and arbitrary house detention since August 2019. Outside Mirwaiz’s residence gates, mobile bunkers and armed vehicles have been stationed, manned by CRPF and state police personnel and the road partially blocked from both sides and no one is allowed to go inside,” the amalgam said.
“The executive members had gone to meet the Mirwaiz to inquire about his health after his recovery from Covid but the armed personnel stationed outside sent them away,” the Hurriyat said.
The amalgam said this “despotic attitude” of the ruling class towards the Hurriyat chairman is highly regrettable.
“All his human and fundamental rights and civil liberties stand completely curbed for past two years. He has been caged inside his home arbitrarily at the will of the rulers, for firmly standing by Hurriyat’s principled stand of peaceful resolution of the Kashmir conflict in accordance with the people’s aspirations,” it said.
