SRINAGAR – After over a month of house arrest, Kashmir’s top religious and political leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, delivered a powerful speech at Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid. Speaking on the unresolved Kashmir conflict, he reiterated his commitment to a peaceful resolution through dialogue, rejecting violence as a means to achieve political goals. Farooq criticized the Indian government’s approach, calling on it to acknowledge the ground realities and resume talks, as had been done under previous leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh.
He condemned the ongoing political detentions in Kashmir, stating that the repression of Hurriyat leaders and widespread incarcerations could not stifle the demand for a peaceful solution. Farooq also drew parallels between the Kashmir issue and the Palestinian conflict, cautioning against allowing the region to become another hotbed of protracted violence and suffering.
Farooq emphasized that local civic elections could not address the deeper aspirations of the Kashmiri people. He urged mainstream political parties to unite in defending the rights and interests of the region, rather than focusing on personal or party gains.
The Mirwaiz also criticized the administration for restricting access to Jamia Masjid on key Islamic occasions, accusing authorities of politicizing religious events and warning that any such actions would face strong public resistance.
