The Mirwaiz had announced that a prayer meeting will be held beside the ‘martyrs’ cemetery’ to commemorate “martyrdom” of his father Mirwaiz Farooq and Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference founder Mr. Lone who too is buried there.
SRINAGAR: Kashmir’s chief Muslim cleric and chairman of separatist Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said on Wednesday that he was, once again, placed under house detention; this time to prevent him from visiting Srinagar’s Idgah Mazar-e-Shohada (martyrs’ cemetery) to pay homage to his father Mirwaiz Muhammad Farooq and another Kashmiri leader Abdul Gani Lone.
The Mirwaiz had announced that a prayer meeting will be held beside the ‘martyrs’ cemetery’ to commemorate “martyrdom” of his father Mirwaiz Farooq and Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference founder Mr. Lone who too is buried there.
Farooq, the then Mirwaiz or chief Muslim cleric of Kashmir, and Lone were assassinated by unknown gunmen on this day (May 21) in 1990 and 2001, respectively. The government had blamed separatist militants for the murders but has failed to bring all the perpetrators to justice, so far.
The incumbent Mirwaiz recalled the “political vision” of both these leaders and asserted that their faith in resolving the Kashmir conflict through peaceful dialogue is once again being echoed globally as the only viable path to peace. “The political foresightedness that both these leaders exhibited, their faith in resolution of the Kashmir conflict through dialogue, which they saw as the best means to end lingering uncertainty for the people of J&K and as the catalyst for ensuring peace and stability in the region, is once again acknowledged by the world as the way forward. Hope India and Pakistan pay heed to it,” he said.
While paying tribute to his father and a large number of mourners who were killed in the CRPF firing on a procession which was shifting his corpse from a Srinagar hospital to his official residence, the incumbent Mirwaiz wrote on ‘X’, “The 21st of May is upon us, and painful memories are revived. Quaid-e-Kashmir (leader of Kashmir) for his people, Mirwaiz Molvi Muhammad Farooq was on this day taken away from them by gunmen, his distraught mourners sprayed with bullets leaving seventy dead. Even after 35 years, the vacuum his death created is present, more keenly felt with each passing year. His guidance is deeply missed.”
He added that the “enduring legacy of selfless service to the people left by Shaheed-e-Millat (the martyr of the nation) continues to inspire and guide them in the face of adversity”.
He expressed strong disappointment over being yet again barred by the authorities from visiting the Idgah cemetery to offer fateha (prayer for the dead) and pay homage. “As expected, authorities again barred us from visiting Idgah to offer fateha and pay homage to Shaheed-i-Millat and our beloved Shaheed-i-Hurriyat (the martyr of freedom) Khawaja Abdul Ghani Lone Sahib—another great loss that we suffered on this day 23 years ago—and to the innocent Shuhada-e-Hawal (the martyrs of Hawal).”
Mr. Lone’s son and chairman of J&KPC Sajad Gani Lone also took to social media to pay tribute to his father. He said, “Remembering my father Abdul Gani Lone who was killed by gunmen on this day 23 years ago. He sacrificed his life in pursuit of his dream for peace.”
He said, “Those were even darker days than today. Speaking the truth often invited retribution. I remember when he died, we called him the Martyr to Peace. Never in these 23 years has the need for peace dawned on us as it has in the last thirty days”.
He added, “May Allah grant him Jannat. May he rest in peace. May those who killed him burn in Hell and May all those cowards who kill non-combatants, civilians, innocent tourists burn in Hell”.
