Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference chairman and Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday (November 6) said he was put under house arrest for nearly a week and not allowed to offer the congregational prayers at the historic Jama Masjid in the Nowhatta area of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.Expressing disappointment over the continued restrictions, Mirwaiz called it “arbitrary and authoritarian measures to curtail freedom of movement and speech, only betraying the official narrative of ‘Normalcy’ in Kashmir”.“My house detention continues unabated for the past week, with police deployment and barricades in place. Unfortunate that I will not be able to deliver the Friday sermon at Jama Masjid Srinagar to the faithful today. Arbitrary and authoritarian measures to curtail freedom of movement and speech only betray the official narrative of ‘Normalcy’ in Kashmir,” Mirwaiz posted on X.The continued restrictions follow Mirwaiz’s address at Jama Masjid last Friday, in which he referred to the recently published International Crisis Group report on Jammu and Kashmir, highlighting concerns over political prisoners, civil liberties and the need for meaningful “political engagement and efforts at reconciliation”.Since then, Mirwaiz has remained confined to his residence, preventing him from fulfilling his religious responsibilities, including addressing scheduled religious gatherings and leading the Friday congregation at Jama Masjid.My house detention continues unabated for the past week with police deployment and barricades in place. Unfortunate that will not be able to deliver the Friday sermon at Jama Masjid Srinagar to the faithful, today. Arbitrary and authoritarian measures to curtail freedom of movement and speech, only betray the official narrative of “Normalcy” in Kashmir.— Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (@MirwaizKashmir) November 6, 2026In his sermon last Friday, the Mirwaiz had said, “Our consistent position has been that the Kashmir issue cannot be addressed through a security approach alone. Political issues require political engagement, and longstanding grievances require sincere efforts at reconciliation.”In a veiled reference to New Delhi’s policy on Kashmir, the Mirwaiz had said, “If the situation has improved, as is being acknowledged, should it not also be an opportunity to ease restrictions, review detentions, restore civil liberties and create an environment in which people can express their views and grievances peacefully?”He said peace cannot simply be measured by the absence of protests. “If meaningful progress has been made in improving security, the next step should be to build upon it through reconciliation, release and review of political prisoners, restoration of civil liberties and sincere political engagement,” he had added.Mirwaiz had underlined that the “real measure of peace is not merely how much violence has declined, but how much trust has been restored”. “That is the message we should take from this report too,” said Mirwaiz.In December 2025, Mirwaiz dropped the title of ‘chairman’ of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) from his X handle, formerly Twitter, citing a verbal directive from the Jammu and Kashmir administration. “The report says that militancy, street protests and violence have declined in recent years, which everyone welcomes, as no one understands the value of peace more than the people of Kashmir, who have suffered enormously over the past several decades,” he had said.In his sermon, he had also added that Kashmir remains one of the most militarised places on earth. “One of the most disturbing aspects highlighted in the report is the scale of arrests and detentions since 2019. According to the Union Home Ministry’s own figures, 3,662 people were arrested under UAPA in J&K between 2019 and 2023, while only 23 convictions were recorded during that period. These figures raise serious questions about prolonged detention, due process and the widespread use of stringent laws,” said the Mirwaiz, also expressing concern over the continued incarceration of Kashmiri political prisoners, including Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Shahid Ul Islam, Engineer Rashid, Asiya Andrabi, Masrat Alam, and many others.“We have repeatedly appealed for their release, review of their cases and humanitarian consideration towards elderly and ailing prisoners. I reiterate that appeal today. Justice and compassion cannot be separated from the pursuit of peace,” the Mirwaiz had said.