ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has expressed outrage over the continued closure of the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
For the seventh consecutive year since India’s unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, Kashmiri Muslims have been prevented from attending congregational prayers at one of the most significant mosques in the valley.
This ongoing restriction, particularly during such an important time for the Muslim community, has been denounced by Pakistan as a serious violation of religious freedom and an infringement on the fundamental human rights of the Kashmiri people.
In an official statement, the Foreign Office in Islamabad stated that denying Muslims the opportunity to gather at the mosque was a deliberate act of oppression aimed at stifling religious practice in the region. The closure of Jamia Masjid during the holy month of Ramazan is seen not only as an attack on religious rights but also as an attempt to suppress the cultural and spiritual identity of Kashmiri Muslims.
The statement noted that the closure of the mosque for the past seven years reflects the broader human rights concerns that have plagued Jammu and Kashmir since India’s controversial move to revoke the region’s special status in 2019.
The statement added that such actions, particularly during Ramazan, are deeply troubling, as they deny Kashmiri Muslims the opportunity to gather in prayer and partake in an essential religious observance.
“These actions, intended to prevent religious practice and public gathering, are an affront to the religious freedom of Kashmiri Muslims and violate their most basic rights,” said the statement.
