Be mature democracies, resolve Kashmir : Mirwaiz to India, Pak

Srinagar, Feb 16: Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday suggested India and Pakistan to behave like “mature democracies” and resolve Kashmir issue.
Saying that no lessons have been learnt in the last 70 years, Umar, in his tweet, wrote: “Unfortunate that even after pursuing a policy of militarism for 70 years no lessons have been learnt. Escalation at LOC between two nuclear powers in an environment of mistrust can have devastating consequences. India & Pakistan should act like mature democracies & resolve K-issue.”
Earlier while addressing the gathering at Jamia Masjid during the Friday prayers, the Mirwaiz took a dig at the authorities for imposing curbs to disallow congregational prayers, saying Kashmir issue “won’t disappear” by preventing people from gathering to offer obligatory prayers”.
In his address, the Mirwaiz condemned those in power for repeatedly barring Muslims from offering obligatory Friday prayers at Jamia masjid and other masjids across the valley by imposing curfew and restrictions on Fridays in downtown and other parts of the valley.
He said Friday prayers are being held today after three weeks at Jamia masjid.
“The Muslim collaborators under the influence of their masters need to be reminded that in Islam mosque is a place of collective worship,” he said.
“It is a community centre for the Muslims where besides other things the community comes together at prayer times and otherwise, to discuss and deliberate the issues facing it and the jumma Khutba delivered reflects those issues and problems of the community and their redressal in the light of Quran, Sunnah and ethics.”
Mirwaiz said for the last thirty years in particular, the gravest crisis being faced by the people of Kashmir is “severe repression and suspension and abuse of all their rights, including human, religious and political as a consequence of occupation and the unresolved Kashmir dispute for past 70 years.”
He said that Muslim community is “forcibly prevented” from gathering to offer obligatory prayers at mosques, especially the central mosque on Fridays.
“The motive is to stop people from expressing their opinion and outrage at the repression they are subject to and for their just demand of resolution of the disputed,” Mirwaiz said.
“Let those who mislead by such propaganda understand that the Kashmir problem will not disappear by barring prayers at mosques and blocking all avenues of public expression of protest and outrage against repression, including in the mosques,” he said.
Mirwaiz said unless the “genuine demand of resolution of Kashmir conflict is addressed, voice will always be raised for its resolution from the pulpit of mosques including the Jamia Masjid”.