Srinagar
In occupied Kashmir, an organisation representing Kashmiri Pandits has urged the Indian authorities to release Hurriyat forum Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and other Muslim religious leaders from detention ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.
The Chairman of Reconciliation, Return and Rehabilitation of Migrants, Satish Mahaldar in a statement in Srinagar in view of the upcoming month of Ramadan appealed to the authorities to release all Muslim religious leaders including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who are in detention since the abrogation of special status of occupied Kashmir buy India in August, last year.
The month of fasting is expected to begin from April 25 subject to the appearance of the crescent. Mahaldar said the Hurriyat forum chairman had always favoured talks for resolution of the Kashmir dispute.
In occupied Kashmir, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq-led Hurriyat forum has expressed serious concern over the continued house arrest and illegal detention of its Chairman and other Hurriyat leaders, activists and youth.
The forum spokesman in a statement issued in Srinagar said that the amalgam was greatly concerned for the life and safety of the Kashmiri political prisoners and youth locked up in different jails of occupied Kashmir and India. He said, as the number of coronavirus cases is rapidly rising in India and occupied Kashmir, it makes these prisoners more vulnerable, especially the elderly and infirm among them.
The spokesman said that all these prisoners should be immediately released and sent home to ensure their safety, ahead of the holy month of Ramzan.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq who is under arbitrary house arrest since 5th August 2019, along with all other leaders should be set free, he demanded.
The forum spokesman also condemned the harassment of Kashmiri journalists, especially Masarrat Zahra and Peerzada Aashiq. He said that the journalists were repeatedly being pressurized even as they were reporting in very distressing environment.
The spokesman extended greetings to the people of occupied Kashmir for the coming holy month of Ramzan.
He said that the people of the territory were grappling with coronavirus pandemic as well as the suspension of basic rights. “We pray that may this holy month bring an end to both,” he added.—INP
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