Mirwaiz Umar Farooq expresses concern over PoK killings

Srinagar, Jun 10: Kashmir’s chief preacher Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Wednesday expressed concern over the situation in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), and called for restraint and dialogue.

The Mirwaiz’s remarks came after more than 20 people were reportedly killed in recent police action on protesters in several parts of PoK.

On Tuesday, India came down hard on Pakistan for its “brutality” against people in PoK and called on the international community to hold that country accountable for its “abuses”.

Mirwaiz Farooq, in a post on X, said he was “deeply disturbed by the news coming from across the LoC” and described the killing of protesting civilians and police personnel as “extremely sad”.

He said that the government in PoK “should know better than to use force to handle public grievance and demands in this manner”.

“When people take to the streets to express their concerns, it is a signal that they seek to be heard. It is the responsibility of those in authority to listen, engage and peacefully resolve the matter, rather than allow it to escalate into violence, arbitrary arrests and loss of life,” he said.

The Mirwaiz expressed hope that “better sense prevails and the matter is handled with maturity while addressing the concerns of the people”.