First Friday of Ramadhan No Azan, Prayers in Jamia Masjid
Situation remained normal: IGP Kashmir
Srinagar: Curfew like restrictions were in place in Srinagar on Friday with the huge deployment of police and paramilitary forces made to thwart any protest demonstrations after Friday prayers.
According to the KNS correspondent, curfew like restrictions was imposed in several areas of Srinagar including the old city wherein barricades and concertina were placed to put curbs on pedestrian movement.
Kashmir’s separatist leadership earlier had called for a strike on July 4 against the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Reports have maintained that a complete shutdown was observed in various parts of valley on Friday – the first Friday in the ongoing month of Ramadhan. People preferred to stay indoors with the roads of the summer capital giving the deserted look. Shops and other business establishments remained closed and the educational institutions were shut due to the non- availability of the transport services. Government and private offices also marked the negligible attendance.
In old city of Srinagar, huge deployment of forces was made and the barricades and concertina wires were placed on the middle of the various roads to keep a check on the pedestrian movement. In Hawal, Safa Kadal, Khaniyar, Nowhatta and adjoining areas the barbed wires were placed at the connecting routes and the people were denied the permission to travel towards Nowhatta.
The Maisuma area of Srinagar remained under siege with no one being allowed to enter into the area. Troops were seen deployed at the check points to foil any protest demonstration. Chairman Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Muhammad Yasin Malik was Friday morning arrested from his Maisuma residence. Reports said police raided Malik’s residence and detained him at Kothi Bagh Police Station. In various other area of upper town, people complained of strict curfew like restrictions- maintaining that no one was allowed to leave their places with the deployment of forces in the area were much large in number.
Also several employees of the Radio Kashmir Srinagar Friday stated that the forces didn’t allow them to proceed towards the station while as various people accused that they were not allowed to visit GB Pant hospital to get their children treated. Meanwhile, a complete shutdown is being observed in the whole valley on the call of separatists.
IGP Kashmir A G Mir, told KNS: “The situation remained normal and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere today.” A senior spokesman in the civil administration told KNS, that the restrictions in the city have been lifted and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere. “There will be no restriction tomorrow,” said the senior officer in the civil administration.
Despite being the first Friday of the ongoing month of Ramadhan, no congregation prayers were offered at Kashmir’s historic Jamia Masjid in old city. According to the KNS correspondent, authorities since Thursday evening placed Kashmir’s chief religious cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest who was supposed to deliver Friday sermon in the grand mosque.
Reports informed that in view of the Prime Minister Narendera Modi’s visit to valley and the strike call issued by the separatist leadership here, curfew and restrictions, on first Friday of Ramadhan, were imposed in old city with the roads wearing deserted look. No Friday congregation prayers were allowed in Jamia Masjid.
Police also have placed Masjid’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house detention. Strict curfew has been imposed in various places in and outside the Srinagar in view of the Modi’s first visit to Kashmir. Meanwhile, various pro-freedom leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani and others have been placed under arrest.