SrinagarAmid restrictions in parts of Srinagar city, authorities on Friday again locked Grand Mosque of Srinagar and didnt allow Fridayprayers there. Police also detained head priest Mirwaiz Umar Farooq inside his home thus denying him right to address Fridaycongregational prayers at historic mosque.
All gates of Jamia Masjid were locked by the government forces while all roads leading to the biggest mosque of the Valley were blocked with concertina wires.
Pertinently, Mirwaiz was placed under house arrest on last Friday of Ramazan (Juma-tul-vida) as well and he was not even allowed to deliver his customary Eid sermon at Eidgah.
Other separatist leaders including Syed Ali Geelani and Shabir Ahmed Shah continue to be under house detention while Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik has been detained in Srinagar Central Jail.
Conglomerate of local militant outfits United Jehad Council as well as joint resistance leadership comprising of Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik have called for anti-US protest against the American State Department action to declare Kashmiri leader Syed Salahudin a global terrorist.
Meanwhile, authorities imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar city to stop possible pro-freedom protests. The restrictions were imposed in the areas falling under the jurisdiction of five police stations- Khanyar, Rainawari, Nowhatta, M.R. Gunj and Safa Kadal, said an official from District administration Srinagar.
Reports said that normal life was disrupted in these areas due to restrictions. Large contingent of police and Para-military troopers had been deployed across Srinagar city while in restive places, barbed wires have been placed on roads to restrict the movement of people and vehicles.
Stone-pelting incidents were also reported from Nowhatta and Safakadal areas of old Srinagar city while agitated youth also staged protest and pelted stones on government forces at Bellow Rajpora area of South Kashmirs Anantnag district.
Youth clashed with police and paramilitary forces in Sopore town of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Friday. Reports said that youth assembled outside the Jamia Masjid after congregational weekly prayers and staged a protest against the US action on Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin. Forces deployed in the area resorted to tear smoke shelling as soon as the protesters tried to march towards the main Bazar. The protesters retaliated by hurling stones, triggering clashes.
A police official said that the day passed peacefully and no reports of any protests or clashes was reported from any part of the Valley.
JKLF Protests
Meanwhile, JKLF today protested against the US decision of designating Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Chief, Syed Salah-ud-din as global terrorist and against the arrests of separatist leaders.
Holding placards in their hands and raising slogans in favor of freedom, martyrs and unity and against the spree of arrests and clubbing Kashmiri freedom struggle with terrorism, the participants of the protest sit-in were addressed by leaders Noor Muhammad Kalwal, Siraj ud Din Mir and others.
The protest sit-in later ended peacefully.
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