HC surprised over statement of Minister in Parl

Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar Feb 3: Hurriyat Conference (HC) today expressed surprise over the remarks of the Union Minister for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy in the Parliament today that no political leader is under house arrest in Jammu and Kashmir since it became the Union Territory.
The HC said that a police vehicle is permanently stationed outside the Mirwaiz’s residence since August 2019, who do not allow him to move out. “If that is not house arrest then what is that?” the HC asked.
“If he is not under house arrest then why is he not allowed to come out of his house? Mirwaiz will complete one-and-a-half years under detention on February 5”, the HC said in the statement.
The HC reiterated that its chairman Mirwaiz Moulvi Muhammad Umar Farooq is not only a political leader of international repute, but also Mirwaiz of Kashmir, the religious and spiritual leader of Kashmir . As the Mirwaiz, because of his house detention, he is even disallowed from delivering the Friday sermon at the historic Jamia Masjid.
The HC said that instead of such misleading statements, authorities should immediately end the house detention of Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir and also release unconditionally all those political prisoners, youth, civil society members , journalists and the respectable members of the society who were arrested ahead of August 5, 2019 among which many were booked under PSA and lodged in J&K and other jails including Tihar Jail, Kot Bhalwal Jail, Jodhpur Jail, Agra Jail, Amphala Jail and Haryana Jail.