Massive pro-freedom rallies and protests were held in South Kashmir’s Kulgam and Islamabad on Friday soon after mandatory congregational prayers. Reports and eye witnesses said that in Shangus, hundreds of people held protest rally after Friday prayers in Islamabad District.
The rally, reports said, was taken out from Jamia Masjid Shangus up to main market. The rally was led by Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Islamabad district chief, Mir Hafizullah. People first raised pro-freedom and anti-India slogans in the Jamia masjid and then marched towards the main chowk amid sloganeering, reports said.
Mir Hafizullah later addressed the protesters and urged them to continue “resistance program and stay firm”, eye witnesses said. Similarly, in Khudwani area of Kulgam district, youths blocked Islamabad-Kulgam road after Friday prayers.
The youths, as per the reports, raised anti–India slogans and “warned forces against arrests and damaging of property during raids”. Reports said that the youths raising slogans in favour of resistance leader, Sarrjan Barkati, who had gained fame in south Kashmir in the current uprising. The protesters demanded his immediate release. Barkati has been booked under draconian Public Safety Act (PSA).
Meanwhile, forces fired teargas shells on protesters participating in another rally that was taken out after Friday prayers in Dooru town of South Kashmir, reports said. According to the reports, forces fired teargas shells and one of which landed inside the house premises of Mohammad Ashraf Hajam. The tear smoke gas engulfed the whole house and the inmates fell unconscious and were shifted to sub-district hospital Dooru.
Intense clashes erupted in Srinagar’s Barzulla area on Friday. Reports and eye witnesses said a pro-freedom rally was taken out from Barzulla Eidgah soon after congregational Friday prayers ended.
“But forces stopped the rally,” eye witnesses said. “The youths resorted to stone pelting and forces fired tear gas shells to disperse off the protestors.” “Large number of cops in many police vehicles have been brought to the area today,” a resident of Old Barzulla said.
“Many cops are not wearing formal uniform,” the resident said, “they have fired scores of tear gas canisters which has created suffocation if the area.” The locals said that the forces arrested three youths. However, they could not share the identity of the detained youths.
“The men in uniform damaged many cars which were parked on the Bund besides, they also damaged window panes,” the locals added. Clashes were going on when last reports came in.
Pro-freedom rallies and protests were held in north Kashmir’s Sopore town on Friday. As soon as the Friday congregational prayers culminated, people shouting pro-freedom slogans took out a rally from Jamia Masjid Sopore. However, the rally was not allowed to reach reached Chankhan. “Forces stopped it,” locals said.
“The men in uniform fired tear gas shells on protesters,” eye witnesses said, “the youths reacted by pelting stones resulting in clashes.” In Warpora area on Sopore-Bandipora road, people took out a rally, however, two youths were arrested by police, locals claimed. The identity of the detained youths could not be ascertained immediately.
“People hit roads and clashes erupted,” sources said. Meanwhile, a pro-freedom rally was taken out in Bomai area of Sopore after Friday prayers. The rally was addressed by local Tehreek-e-Hurriyat activists and it ended peacefully.
Meanwhile, as Kashmir continues to remain shut for consecutive 105 days on Friday, it is fifteenth week and no mandatory congregational Friday prayers were allowed at historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar.
Last time, it was on July 08, 2016 – when popular militant commander Burhan Wani was killed in South Kashmir’s Bemdoora area of Islamabad district – that the faithful offered congregational Friday prayers in the Jamia Masjid.
The forces have put on massive restrictions around Jamia Masjid and do not allow the faithful to offer prayers especially the mandatory Friday prayers. The continuous siege of Jamia Masjid situated in Old Srinagar’s Nowhatta has been an old tactic of rulers of Kashmir. The last two civilian uprising which Kashmir witnessed in 2010 and 2008, the Jamia Masjid – where Kashmir’s chief cleric and prominent resistance leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq leads Friday prayers – was sealed by the consecutive governments.
The Sikh rulers of Kashmir in 19th century would often close the historic Masjid to disallow people from rising against then establishment.
On last Thursday, the local populace of Old Srinagar had planned to march, in protest, towards Jamia Masjid against the ban on Friday prayers. However, the government disallowed it. Later in the evening, clashes erupted around the historic Jamia Masjid.
Authorities have placed restrictions in Srinagar and other major towns of Kashmir, following the call of resistance leadership for pro-freedom protests and march to the residence of MLAs.
While all the business establishments and Educational Institutions remain shut, there is very thin movement of private vehicles on the roads in Srinagar and other towns of Kashmir.
Since the July 9, a day after Wani’s death, Kashmir is witnessing massive civilian uprising during which 94 civilians have been killed, more than fifteen thousand others injured and nearly ten thousand arrested by forces.
