National News

ISLAMABAD, (MILLAT+APP): The Hurriyet forum led by Mirwaiz
Umar Farooq has denounced continued house arrest and detention of
the Mirwaiz and other Hurriyet leaders and activist, terming it as
sheer political vendetta.
According to KMS, the forum spokesman in a statement issued
in Srinagar said, “While the authorities finally allowed Friday
prayers at Jamia Masjid after 19 weeks of shamelessly preventing
people from their religious obligation, strict restrictions were
put in place and most roads leading to the masjid were sealed off
by the forces to discourage people from going to the masjid.”
He said that in the absence of the Mirwaiz, Imam Hai Maulana
Ahmad Syed Naqshbandi delivered the Friday sermon and strongly
condemned the dictatorial authorities for banning people from
offering Juma prayers at the mosque for the past 19 weeks.
“Imam Hai denounced the continued house arrest of the
Mirwaiz as political vendetta. He said Jamia Masjid, Srinagar, has
for centuries been the centre of peaceful religious, missionary,
social and political activities and aspirations of the people of
Kashmir and an assault on the masjid by banning prayers is an
attack on the Muslim identity of Kashmir, the spokesman added.
He condemned the house arrest and detention of resistance
leaders including Syed Ali Gilani, Shabbir Ahmed Shah and Aasiya
Andrabi. He also denounced the use of force on peaceful protesters
by Indian forces in Pulwama, Sopore and Kupwara.