Hurriyat firm on principled stance on IOK, says Mirwaiz

ISLAMABAD: Hurriyat Forum Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has refuted the “baseless” Indian media reports that he was released after signing a bond, stressing the forum remains firm by its principled stand on the Kashmir dispute and is with the people of Indian-occupied Kashmir.

The senior leader of the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) remains under house arrest at his Nigeen residence in Srinagar, the Kashmir Media Service reported, quoting a Hurriyat Forum statement issued on Sunday.

“Mirwaiz Umar Farooq continues to be under house arrest since August 5, at his residence, as such his access to people and communication is extremely limited,” the forum said in the statement circulated to media.

“The Hurriyat Forum stands firm by its principled stand on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and stands with the people in this unprecedented situation that all are facing,” the statement said, while describing media reports quoting sources that the forum chairman has been released after signing a bond as “entirely baseless”.

A close confidant of Mirwaiz, who handed over the statement of the Hurriyat forum, said: “Mirwaiz continues to be under house detention and nobody is allowed to go inside.

“A few days ago, one of his neighbours who had returned after performing Hajj, wanted to send Mirwaiz some dates and ‘Zam Zam’ water, but that too was not allowed by the police inside the Mirwaiz’s residence.”

Asked why the handout is being issued on a plain paper and not a proper letterhead, he disclosed that all the letterheads had been “confiscated” by the Indian National Investigation Agency (NIA) during previous raids on Mirwaiz and his office.