Authorities in Indian-controlled Kashmir free a key Muslim cleric after years of house arrest

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — India has freed a key Muslim cleric after four years of house arrest and allowed him to lead Friday prayers at a mosque in Srinagar, the main city of Indian-controlled Kashmir. The cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has been spearheading protests against Indian rule in the disputed region. He was detained ahead of India revoking Kashmir’s special status in 2019. It stripped the region of statehood and a separate constitution. Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan since British colonialists granted them independence in 1947 and both claim the region in its entirety. They have fought two wars over its control.