After nearly five months, Kashmir’s Chief Cleric and Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was on Friday allowed to offer congregational prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar.

The managing committee of the mosque, Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid said Mirwaiz Umar was allowed by the authorities to offer Friday prayers at Jama Masjidfor the fourth time after his release from house detention in September 2023 and for the first time since October 6, 2023.

Anjuman said authorities informed them about their decision in the forenoon, which was conveyed to Mirwaiz.

“As soon as people came to know about it there was enthusiasm around and they gathered in huge numbers in the mosque,” the statement said.

Addressing the gathering at the Jamia mosque, Mirwaiz said that repeated restrictions on him to prevent him from coming to Jama Masjid is very sad and painful to him and he knows that it also causes great grief to people as the pulpit falls silent.

Mirwaiz said that even on occasions of Shab-e-Barat and Sha-e-Miraj, he was not allowed to come to the mosque despite repeated appeals from all including the Anjuman.

The Hurriyat Conference Chairman said that the case for his full release from house arrest is in Court and he is fighting it to ensure that the court delivers justice , and all restrictions on his movement are removed, especially being able to perform his religious obligations as the Mirwaiz.

"But, one has to be ready to face all eventualities as the times and circumstances we live in are very tough. As far as the pulpit of Jama Masjid is concerned it has always advocated peace and resolution of the conflict," the Chief Cleric said.

(With UNI inputs)