J&K: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq freed after 4 years, says always favoured talks

Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq led prayers at Srinagar's Jamia Masjid following his release from house arrest after 4 years on Friday morning.

There was a large gathering at the Jamia Masjid as the head priest led the prayers at the mosque after 4 years. In his sermon, Mirwaiz said that he has always been in favour of talks to resolve the Kashmir conflict

Mirwaiz was put under house arrest in 2019 after the abrogation of Artice 370.

"Senior police officials visited the residence of the Mirwaiz on Thursday to inform him that the authorities have decided to release him from house detention and allow him to go to Jamia Masjid for Friday prayers," the mosque committee said in a statement.

The release of Mirwaiz, who heads various religious organisations and is the chairman of the separatist Hurriyat Conference, comes days after he moved the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

The court, on September 15, gave four weeks' time to the Jammu and Kashmir administration to file its response to the Mirwaiz's petition.

The Hurriyat leader was put under house arrest at his Nigeen residence on August 5, 2019 -- the day the BJP-led Centre abrogated the provisions of Article 370 and bifurcated the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into Union territories.