SRINAGAR: In a notable development, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Kashmir’s chief Muslim cleric and a prominent moderate separatist figure, removed the designation “Chairman, All Parties Hurriyat Conference” from his verified ‘X’ profile on Thursday evening.
The change, which left his bio containing only his name and basic location details, sparked widespread discussion on social media. On Friday morning, the Mirwaiz explained the decision in a post on ‘X’, stating he had faced sustained pressure from authorities to alter his profile. He noted that all constituent groups of the Hurriyat Conference—including the Awami Action Committee, which he leads—have been banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, effectively rendering the Hurriyat Conference a prohibited organisation.
“For some time now, I was being pressed by the authorities to make changes to my ‘X’ handle as Hurriyat chairman… failing which they will take down my handle,” he wrote. He emphasised the importance of the platform amid restricted public spaces: “At a time when public space and avenues of communication stand severely restricted, this platform remains among the very few means available to me to reach out to my people and share my views on our issues with them, and the outside world. Under such circumstances, it is a Hobson’s choice I was left to make.”
In recent years, internal divisions, post-2019 crackdowns following the abrogation of Article 370, and bans on key factions have significantly eroded the APHC’s prominence.
The APHC was established in 1993 as an umbrella organisation of various separatist and religious groups in Jammu and Kashmir. Its primary objective was to provide a unified political platform advocating for the right to self-determination for the people of the region, in line with United Nations resolutions. Over the years, the amalgam became a significant voice in Kashmir’s separatist politics, often influencing public sentiment and political discourse. However, internal divisions, declining public support, and stringent government measures have considerably weakened its influence in recent years.
The Mirwaiz, who assumed leadership of the Hurriyat’s moderate faction, was seen as a key figure promoting dialogue and peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue. His move to drop the Hurriyat title symbolises the diminishing role of separatist leadership in the Valley, which once held considerable sway over its political landscape.