Friday prayers disallowed at Jamia Masjid for 2nd week
A day after Lashkar-e-Toiba chief Abu Ismail and his aide were killed in a gunfight with government forces, most educational institutions in Kashmir remained closed while authorities didn’t allow congregational Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid to thwart possible protests against the killing of militants.
The government also imposed strict curbs in majority of Downtown areas and placed Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest. Meanwhile, JKLF leaders and activists staged a protest in uptown here against the NIA raids, arrests and also the killing of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.
An official said the decision to close schools in “sensitive” districts of Kashmir was taken to prevent protests by students in view of the Nowgam gunfight.
A witness said that since early morning, government forces were deployed in large numbers in Downtown areas while the gates of Jamia Masjid were locked.
“Strict curfew-like restrictions were in place,” said Reyaz Ahmed of Nowhatta. “Forces didn’t allow anybody to venture out.”
Ahmad said congregational prayers at Jamia Masjid were not allowed for the second consecutive Friday.
The areas which remained under curfew included Khanyar, Nowhatta, Rainawari, Safakadal and Mahraj Gunj.
Chairman Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq wasn’t allowed to address the Friday gathering and placed under house arrest.
“Time and again #JamaMasjid locked down, downtown people caged by the Govt raising the “law and order bogey”. Actually it reflects their paranoia of the fearlessness and courage of the people of downtown city whose resolve they cannot break (sic),” Mirwaiz wrote on his twitter handle.
Clashes In Nowgam
A witness said that soon after congregational Friday prayers culminated, scores of youth took to roads near railway track and resorted to massive pro-freedom and pro-Abu Ismail slogans. “Police swung into action and fired dozens of teargas shells to disperse the protesters,” he said.
The witness said that clashes continued till late evening as youth fought pitched battles with the police and paramilitary CRPF who responded by firing dozens of teargas shells.
JKLF Stages Protest
JKLF leaders and activists along with people from many walks of life gathered at Budshah Chowk at Lal Chowk after Friday prayers and staged a peaceful protest to express solidarity with thousands of people languishing in jails and police stations.
In a statement here, a JKLF spokesman said that protest was also staged against NIA raids and massacre of Muslims in Myanmar.
Holding placards displaying slogans and photographs of people in jails and raising slogans, the protesters staged a sit-in at Budshah Chowk which was addressed by various leaders.
Meanwhile, JKLF chief Muhammad Yasin Malik while expressing solidarity with the prisoners including Dukhtaran-e-Millat chief Asiya Andrabi and her aide Fahmeeda Sofi, said that dozens of leaders are languishing in jails and all this is being done in the name of democracy and under the garb of law and order bogey.
“Many separatist leaders including Shabir Ahmad Shah, Ayaz Akbar, Shahid-ul-Islam, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Meraj-ud-din Kalwal, Pir Saifullah, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Farooq Ahmad Dar, businessman Zahoor Ahmad Watali and journalist Kamran Yousuf and Javed Ahmad have been put behind bars by NIA or ED on concocted charges while as thousands including JKLF district president Ganderbal Bashir Ahmad Rather (Boya), Moulana Sarjan Barkati, Atif Hassan, Irfan Ahmad, Amir Hamza, Mir Hafizullah, Muhammad Yousuf Falahi, Abdul Gani Bhat, Muhammad Yousuf Baghwan and many more remain in jails under black law PSA,” Malik said.
While condemning the ongoing persecution of Rohingya Muslims by Myanmar rulers, JKLF chairman said: “Muslims in Myanmar are being massacred because of their faith and it is the duty of the international community to save them from savages and beasts.”
Meanwhile, the residents of Pampore township on Friday offered funeral prayers for Abu Ismail and his associate Abu Qasim.
