SRINAGAR: Heavy restrictions have been imposed in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), where authorities have confined Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to his residence and turned the Eidgah Martyrs’ Graveyard into a heavily barricaded zone.
According to Kashmir Media Service, strict restrictions have been placed on access to Mazare Shuhada Eidgah since yesterday, with a heavy deployment of police and paramilitary forces around the historic graveyard.
The measures come ahead of the martyrdom anniversaries of prominent Hurriyat leaders Mirwaiz Molvi Muhammad Farooq and Khawaja Abdul Ghani Lone. Mirwaiz Farooq was assassinated by unidentified gunmen at his residence in Srinagar on May 21, 1990.
On the same day, Indian troops allegedly opened fire on his funeral procession in the Hawal area of Srinagar, killing over 70 mourners.
Every year, people gather at the Martyrs’ Graveyard to offer prayers and pay tribute to thousands of Kashmiris who have died in the ongoing freedom struggle.
Eyewitnesses said authorities sealed all routes leading to Eidgah to stop residents from visiting the graveyard, sparking resentment among locals who view the move as an attempt to suppress religious practices and collective mourning.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who heads the Anjuman Nusrat-ul-Islam and is a key APHC leader, has frequently been placed under house arrest and travel restrictions, particularly ahead of major religious or political events.
Analysts say such measures reflect growing sensitivity of the authorities toward public gatherings, even for religious and commemorative purposes.
The restrictions and house arrest have been widely condemned by residents, who term them undemocratic and a violation of basic religious rights.–APP
