Authorities Block Funeral Prayers for Ghulam Sibtain Masoodi

Ghulam Sibtain Masoodi, father-in-law of Hurriyat Conference chairman, died at 80. Authorities denied permission for his funeral at Jama Masjid, citing security reasons. The community condemned this, viewing it as a misuse of power during a time of mourning. Masoodi will be buried in Pulwama.

Ghulam Sibtain Masoodi, father-in-law of Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, passed away on Wednesday night at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness.

The office of Mirwaiz Farooq announced that the authorities had denied permission for Masoodi's funeral prayers to be held at Jama Masjid, Srinagar, where it was originally planned. This decision was criticized by the Mirwaiz's office, which condemned what it called the display of force during a time of grief.

Masoodi, who was a doctor by profession, left Kashmir in 1974 to pursue further studies in the US, returning 28 years later. He will be buried at his ancestral graveyard in Khrew, Pulwama district.