Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 17: The normal life was disrupted today in Kashmir valley in response to strike called by separatists against recent killings in Kashmir and no Friday prayers were offered in Jamia Masjid as authorities had imposed restrictions in the area.
Authorities today did not allow Friday congregational prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar today as police had sealed the area to prevent assembly of people there.
Security forces were heavily deployed in the old city to prevent any protests on the occasion. They were also patrolling in the sensitive areas as a precautionary measure.
The authorities had imposed strict curbs in downtown parts as police and CRPF men were deployed and restrictions were imposed in Nowhatta, Rainawari, Khanyar and Safa Kadal areas of old city.
Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq termed locking down of the Jamia Masjid as ‘hurting the sentiments of the people’. “In the holy month of Ramadan also, the biggest mosque of Valley is locked down and put under siege. Thousands of Muslims are denied the right to pray there. Such measures reflect the rulers utter disdain for people’s religious rights or hurting their sentiments which is very sad,” Mirwaiz said in a tweet.
Separatists had asked people to observe shutdown to protest the recent killings. They also asked the Imams to raise their voice against the bloodshed in their Friday sermons.
The shops and business establishments were closed and traffic was off the roads in response to the strike call. The schools, colleges and other educational institutions remained closed in the Valley.
The train services between Banihal and Baramulla were shut as a precautionary measure to prevent any damage to the Railway property.
Meanwhile, University of Kashmir, Central University Kashmir (CUK) and Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) had suspended examinations and entrance tests while there will be no class work in other educational institutions in the Valley. Also, the Kashmir University has postponed the entrance test which was scheduled to be held on Friday.
Three civilians were killed yesterday in the State. Two of them Rayees Ahmad Dar and Ishtiaq Ahmad Bhat were killed in encounters in Pulwama and Shopian respectively while a man, Nayeem Shah, was shot in Bhaderwah district.
And a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) worker, Irfan Ahmad, who was shot at by militants last week in Shopian area of South Kashmir succumbed to injuries yesterday and so did a protester from Pattan, who was injured last week in protests against alleged rape of a toddler.
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