There is growing anger and anxiety among the leadership of the regional parties, including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Member of Parliament (MP) Engineer Rashid and MP Aga Syed Ruhullah, over the mass arrests and demolitions of houses of families of terrorists in Kashmir in the backdrop of the Anantnag attack, which left a policeman dead two days ago.

Addressing the Friday (July 24, 2026) congregation at the historic Jama Masjid Srinagar, the Mirwaiz said the past two days saw in Kashmir “large-scale detentions, questioning and harassment of youth across Kashmir, with over 2000 young men being picked up on allegations of being “over-ground workers” or OGWs”.

“An act of violence by one cannot justify collective punishment for all. The killing should be investigated, and those responsible [in the Anantnag attack] should be dealt with according to law. But innocent youth and their families should not be scapegoats and made to suffer,” said the Mirwaiz.

He said the reports of home demolitions of suspected militants, rendering their families homeless, “is another extrajudicial and unjust measure”. “Such measures deepen resentment and are ultimately counterproductive,” said the Mirwaiz.

Meanwhile, the Mirwaiz welcomed the release on bail of Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez and journalist Irfan Mehraj. 

On student protests in New Delhi, the Mirwaiz said, “Young people raising their genuine concerns should be heard and engaged with, not subjected to policing and force”. 

He said reports of pellet injuries among protesters “were a painful reminder of the devastating consequences of pellet guns suffered by hundreds of Kashmiris over the decades. “It is sad to see students in Delhi facing it now. Use of force cannot resolve grievances or issues whether in Delhi or Kashmir; dialogue, accountability and engagement are the only way for resolutions ,” he added.

In New Delhi, amid the ongoing disruptions in the Parliament, MP Rashid, who heads the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), strongly protested against mass detentions and the bulldozing of residential houses in the Kashmir Valley.

AIP spokesman said that as soon as the House assembled this morning, MP Rashid entered the well of the House and protested against mass detentions and the demolition of residential houses in Kashmir. 

“We feel the pain of the family of the deceased policeman, who was killed in the Anantnag militant attack. Above all, he was one among us. But how can you justify the arrest of 2,500 people and the bulldozing of residential houses? Nobody in this country speaks about Kashmiris and the state oppression against them. You have tried to silence our voices through illogical arguments and the use of brutal force. You have created a martial law-like situation in J&K,”said MP Rashid said. 

The MP, who is currently serving jail in the Tihar Jail over an alleged terror funding case, said: “The use of force against protesters in Delhi is equally condemnable. But why, in similar situations, are Kashmiris not even allowed to express their pain on social media? The incidents in Delhi have once again raised serious questions about whether New Delhi truly treats Kashmiris as its own people. While policemen were being ruthlessly thrashed on the streets of New Delhi, the response remained within the framework of law and order. In Kashmir, however, when an unidentified militant attacks a policeman, cases are registered against thousands of people and entire communities are subjected to suspicion and punishment.”

He also raised the killing of an auto driver, Arif Hussain, in Bhaderwah during an anti-militancy operation. “It is a cold-blooded killing by the police. Before talking to Sonam Wangchuk and offering him juice to break his fast, (Union Minister) Dr. Jitendra Singh must answer how Arif Hussain was killed in cold blood in Bhaderwah. He did not utter a single word against that killing,” said MP Rashid.

National Conference leader and Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah 2,500 young men picked up in 24 hours under a phrase, “detained for questioning”. “It appears in no statute and carries no safeguard. And in the night, two homes were blown up. One of them had been demolished last year, rebuilt, and lived in for barely a few months. The Supreme Court has held punitive demolition without due process unconstitutional,” said MP Ruhullah.

J&K Peoples Conference (JKPC) president and legislator Sajad Lone also expressed concern over the mass arrests. “The actions of the J&K police after yesterday’s dastardly attack will do more harm. You cannot summon and arrest thousands of people because their name is included in the OGW list. The list is decades old.

He said most of these people are old, well into their seventies. “There is a concept of reintegration in conflict situations. People who have taken to arms are eventually encouraged and facilitated to reintegrate with society. I don’t agree with the concept of mass arrests. It looks more like community punishment. Please have a relook. We live amongst people here and are subject to questions. And which law of our country justifies this community punishment? It is patently illegal,” said Mr. Lone. 

Published – July 25, 2026 03:26 am IST

File picture of the 14th Mirwaiz of Kashmir, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, delivering a Friday congregation at Jamaal Masjid, in Srinagar.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Chief Cleric of Jammu and Kashmir Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Kashmir’s chief priest, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, claimed he was put under house arrest. File picture
| Photo Credit: ANI

Srinagar:

Kashmiri separatist Mirwaiz Umar Farooq will lead the Friday prayers at Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid after his release from four-year house arrest today. Mirwaiz, chief priest of Jamia Masjid, is the chairman of Hurriyat Conference, a grouping of Kashmiri separatist factions.

Police officials visited him on Thursday and informed that he has been allowed to lead the Friday prayers, Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid said in a statement. 

“Yes, he (Mirwaiz) is going to Jamia Majid today,” said an officer.

Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, both former Chief Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir, are among political leaders and groups who have welcomed his release.

Congratulations to respected Brother #MirwaizUmarFarooq Sahib. It is soothing to see you after a highly appreciable decision by the Administration. Religious scholars belong to all & no group or political party has a copyright for any religious personality. I hope, this time… pic.twitter.com/YKyIraH919

— Dr Darakhshan Andrabi (@drdarakhshan) September 22, 2023

BJP’s national executive member Darakhshan Andrabi, who visited Mirwaiz a day before his release, congratulated him and said “no political party has a copyright for any religious personality”. She is also the chairperson of J&K Waqf Board which has a Minister of State (MoS) status in the Union Territory.

Mirwaiz was put under house arrest on August 5, 2019, when the Centre revoked the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370, and stripped the region of its statehood.

Thousands of other political leaders and workers were also detained and jailed as part of a massive clampdown in wake of the 2019 move.

Jamia Masjid, the biggest cultural and religious centre in the Valley, was also closed. It reopened for regular prayers only in February, 2022. But Mirwaiz remained under house arrest and was not allowed to lead prayers at the mosque.

Mirwaiz is considered as moderate separatist voice who had engaged with the centre during Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh governments.

The decision to release him and lead Friday prayers indicates a softening approach by the centre following a heavy clampdown on Kashmiri separatists and critics of government decision since 2019.

Recently, two religious clerics jailed for fuelling separatism were released and welcomed by the local BJP leaders in Kashmir.

Jamia Masjid has seen a big drop in visitors since it reopened after a long closure in 2022. It can accommodate around 50,000 people with additional space in its lawns and nearby areas during religious congregations.