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Hurriyat chief praises J&K police’s crackdown on drug peddlers
Hurriyat chairperson Mirwaiz Umar Farooq thanked the J&K police for efforts to tackle drug menace, batted for public engagement
Hurriyat chairperson and chief priest of grand mosque in Srinagar, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in a departure from the past on Monday lauded Jammu and Kashmir Police’s efforts to intensify the crackdown on drug networks in the Valley.
Mirwaiz has been a vociferous critic of the security forces and state agencies for alleged human and religious rights violations, on-and-off home detention since 2019, and the cases against his separatist colleagues and other political prisoners of the Valley, many of whom are in jails outside the UT in connection with cases of terror links.
While addressing a religious gathering in a mosque in Srinagar’s Eidgah, Mirwaiz, however, appreciated police, saying, “There is no doubt in the fact that the police have come into action for the past few weeks and arrested many drug dealers, sealed their properties and filed cases against them. If police work like this, people will surely support the efforts.
Notably, police have launched a major drive across the UT against the drug peddlers and dealers. On Sunday, police had said they booked 10 “notorious” drug peddlers under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (PIT-NDPS Act) and lodged them in various jails of the UT. Officials said the accused have been involved in peddling narcotics among the youth of Srinagar at an “alarming scale”.
Mirwaiz, who also delivers Friday sermons at Jamia Masjid every week, said it was encouraging to see the administration taking decisive steps.
“We express our ‘thank you’ to them (police) and appreciate them that if they really look into these issues and use their resources, this drug network, which has spread in city as well as in villages, will come under control,” he said.
The 51-year-old was placed under detention along with hundreds of others, including all major politicians on August 4, 2019, a day ahead of the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and its bifurcation into two union territories. He was released in September 2023 and has since then been mostly allowed, except certain occasions, to address religious gatherings in Jamia Masjid and other places.
Taking note of the dangers of the interstate nexus, Mirwaiz said, “Any hard action against this will be appreciated by one and all and will say ‘thank you, government’ for this good work.”
Mirwaiz’s address stressed upon unified proactive measures, leveraging both religious institutions and law enforcement in the battle against drug addiction and the importance of community and administrative synergy in fostering a safer, healthier society.
He emphasised the role of masjid committees and community collaboration against drug addiction.
“Mosque committees can collaborate and implement effective ways to tackle drug addiction in every area,” he said, adding, “They can keep an eye on suspected people in the area and help in their rehabilitation.”