Qazi Yasir Removed As ‘Head Preacher’ After Sleazy Video Goes Viral

SRINAGAR: The Idaar-e-Tehqeeqat or Islamic Research Institute (IRI) has removed Qazi Yasir as Mirwaiz or ‘head preacher’ of South Kashmir after a sleazy video of the Islamic preacher went viral on social media earlier this week.

Yasir, known for his proximity to a north Kashmir-based politician who was a minister in the PDP-BJP coalition government, however, continues to head Ummat-e-Islami, a socio-religious organisation based in south Kashmir that has been demanding “right to self determination” for people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Sources said Idaar-e-Tehqeeqat, a seminary founded by Yasir’s father, Qazi Nisar, a popular leader of the erstwhile Muslim United Front who contested elections before insurgency erupted in Kashmir during early nineties, will continue to run the affairs of Jamia Masjid Anantnag.

Earlier this week, an undated video of Yasir, a graduate from Aligarh Muslim University, showed him in a sleazy video conversation and masturbating with a girl in mid twenties who is reported to be a resident of south Kashmir, prompting uproar across the Valley. Qazi Yasir is married and has two kids.

Reacting to the calls for stepping down from the affairs of IRI, the maternal grandfather of Qazi Yasir, Mohammad Abdullah Shah, posted a video on Kashmiriyat, a web-portal run by Yasir’s brother, announcing that he (Yasir) will no longer be Mirwaiz South Kashmir.

“We are taking away the post of Mirwaiz South Kashmir from Qazi Yasir and he will also step down as president of IRF keeping in view the aspirations of people,” Abdullah, who, in a mysterious turn of events, has been identified as the patron of the IRI.

Yasir’s father, Qazi Nisar, returned from Aligarh Muslim University after completing his PhD in Arabic and took over from his father, Qazi Ahmadullah, as Mirwaiz South Kashmir. He was assassinated by unknown gunmen on June 19, 1994 in Dialgam of south Kashmir.

Qazi Yasir graduated from the same university in 2004 and took over the reins of the IRI in 2012. He had earlier joined hands with the north Kashmir based politician’s political party and has also participated in roundtable conference on Kashmir during UPA-I tenure when Manmohan Singh was the prime minister.

Despite repeated calls, Qazi Yasir could not be reached for his comments.