The Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Friday said that he has been seeking a “peaceful” resolution of the Kashmir issue as per the aspirations of the people, and questioned how such an advocacy can be termed as “terrorism.” He also said that different “ploys and intimidations” were employed since 1931 to “silence” the pulpit of Jamia Masjid and to target the Mirwaiz family “on one pretext or the other”.
Mirwaiz was addressing a Friday gathering at Jamia Masjidhere, day after he was served a second notice by the National InvestigationAgency asking him to appear before its court in New Delhi on March 18 inconnection with an alleged militancy-funding case.
New Delhi is resorting to various tactics to suppress thevoices of Kashmiris, Mirwaiz alleged.
“We won’t succumb to these threats and will continue topitch for peaceful political resolution of the Kashmir issue,” he said. “Ourstruggle and fight are not against the sovereignty of any nation or religionbut for the resolution of the issue which is lingering since 1947. How candoing so be linked with terrorism?” he asked.
Terming Kashmir as “one of the oldest disputes” on theagenda of the UN and the one that awaits a resolution, Mirwaiz said the peopleof Kashmir are not offering sacrifices for the resolution of the issue todayalone, “but this started way back in 1931”.
“And ever since the partition of India that saw the birth ofPakistan in 1947, many new nations were formed, but Kashmir issue remainedlingering as people continue to demand the solution of this vexed issue,” hesaid.
“I advocate the same what I told the former Prime Ministersof India, Manmohan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and also the former Pakistanpresident general Pervez Musharraf”.
Mirwaiz said for the past several decades, the pulpit of thecentral mosque has been highlighting the peoples’ rights and aspirations andwill continue to do so in future.
“The pulpit will continue to highlight the miseries and paininflicted on the people of Kashmir, until the issue is resolved as per thewishes and aspirations of the people,” he said.
Mirwaiz said the leadership in Kashmir wasn’t eager for thechair or any sort of power, but “the seat of Mirwaiz is meant to highlight thetruth and injustice without any fear”.
“People of Kashmir have been offering priceless sacrificessince 1947 and at the same time, the leadership too has been offeringsacrifices for the great cause from time to time,” he said.
Mirwaiz alleged that the National Investigation Agency islaunching crackdowns and issuing summons to “suppress Kashmiris” while thearrest spree was on and the resistance leaders are being slapped with PSA andsent to outside Kashmir jails.
“(But) this can’t force the people or the leadership intosubmission. These things are not new to us and we have been seeing this since1931,” he said.
“Kashmiris’ voices can’t be suppressed through militarypower. Mirwaiz Yusuf Shah was sent to exile, and my father Mirwaiz MuhammadFarooq and Abdul Gani Lone were martyred. I have been fighting for rights ofKashmiris since the age of 17,” he said. “Islamia school was torched and my unclewas killed in a masjid. Despite all this, voices to demand peoples’ legitimateright became louder.”
Mirwaiz said the resistance leadership has made it clear inworld forums including the United Nations and the OIC that Kashmir issue needsto be resolved politically.
But an atmosphere is being created through a viciouscampaign through electronic media in India to portray Kashmir in a differentway and an impression is being created that whosoever would talk about Kashmirresolution is a “terrorist”, Mirwaiz said.
He said that different ploys are being employed to muzzlethe genuine dissent in Kashmir. This, he said, includes displaying militarymight, damaging the (state) constitution through legal route, and imposingPublic Safety Act on the resistance leadership, while as massive crackdown waslaunched on the religious leaders and activists across Kashmir.
Mirwaiz emphasised on the all segments of society to “forgeunity at this crucial hour” and urged youth to “keep a control on theiremotions”.