SRINAGAR: The release of Hurriyat Conference leader and cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq from over four years of house detention was under active consideration by the government for the last six months and finally the senior separatist leader was released on September 22.
Sources said with the improvement in the ground situation including near zero street protests and a drop in militancy violence in Valley, the authorities had been actively considering for the last six months releasing Farooq from house detention.
“The process of his release was going on for the last six months and after taking feedback from all the concerned security agencies, Mirwaiz was released on Friday last week,” they said.
Mirwaiz was placed under house detention at his Nageen residence in Srinagar on August 4, 2019, a day before the abrogation of J&K’s special status and bifurcation of erstwhile J&K state into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir (with legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature).
Sources said a lot of back-channel talks were held between the concerned quarters and Mirwaiz and that the “successful and meaningful conclusion” of these talks led to his release. They said lots of people were involved in these back-channel talks.
During these back-channel talks, Mirwaiz would have been clearly told that there was no room or space for separatist politics anymore in Jammu and Kashmir and he should use his public reach and influence as a religious and political figure for positivity to bring positive changes in the lives of people here, they said.
They said during the house detention of four years, there might have been some change in thought of Mirwaiz and his mind would have been diverted to positive things as he “must have also realised that the situation has changed on the ground.”
“If his release can make people bind and good senses prevail, then it is good. If his release can bring positivity on the ground, then it is good. During the back channel talks all things would have been made clear to him,” sources said.
They said authorities would be keeping a close watch on the movement and activities of Mirwaiz. A senior BJP leader said there is no scope for separatist politics in J&K anymore and if Mirwaiz continued with the separatist politics, then he could be detained again.
“The separatist politics is unacceptable and won’t be allowed,” he said.
House detention
Mirwaiz was placed under house detention at his Nageen residence in Srinagar on August 4, 2019, a day before the abrogation of J&K’s special status and bifurcation of erstwhile J&K state into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir (with legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature).
He was among the 18 separatist leaders, whose security cover was withdrawn after the February 14, 2019, militant attack on a CRPF convoy at Lethpora, Pulwama.