Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Sept 6: Fresh restrictions were imposed in Srinagar and other parts of the Kashmir as a preventive measure in view of Friday congregational prayers which passed off peacefully .
Restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPc were imposed this morning in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir to prevent any law and order problem in Kashmir.
Entry into Srinagar was severely curtailed, as police and para-military men blocked streets with concertina wire and iron barriers. The vehicles were turned back at the barricades in several areas of Srinagar. However, those with movement passes were allowed. In the Civil Line areas of Srinagar, vehicles were allowed to cross the barricades but majority of the people stayed inside their homes.
The Friday congregational prayers were offered in mosques located in the interiors of the city and elsewhere in the Valley. No prayers were allowed in major mosques and shrines of the Valley for the fifth consecutive Friday.
The security barricades were strengthened around the Jamia Masjid Srinagar where prayers were not allowed. The prayers have not been allowed in the Jamia Masjid for over one and a half month now.
The prayers passed off peacefully with no major untoward incident reported from any part of the Valley. However, security forces were heavily deployed around the mosques where the Friday prayers were allowed but the number of people who prayed in these mosques was very less.
There were protests in Budgam town after Friday prayers in the main Shia Imam Bara where hundreds offered prayers. Later there were stone pelting protests as well. However, security forces managed to quell these protests by firing tear gas.
In the evening, the restrictions were eased and there was movement of traffic in various parts of the city as people with emergencies were moving around. People were seen buying essentials.
And normal life remained disrupted across the Kashmir valley for the 33rd consecutive day, with markets closed and public transport off the roads. The attendance in Government offices remained thin.
The landline telephony services have resumed in majority parts of the Valley. However, mobile telephone services and internet including broadband services continue to remain suspended since August 5.
In the meantime, security forces recovered an lED from Baramulla town that was planted on the road. The lED was later defused by the security forces.
PTI adds:- The administration on today said like previous years, no Muharram procession would be allowed this time too and all rituals are to be performed in respective Imambaras or shrines.
A top Government official said the administration would follow the past precedence and not allow any procession as these could be used by anti-social elements to trigger clashes with security forces.
The official said all respectable citizens of the Shia community have been conveyed to carry out their religious duties at local Imambaras during the 10- day-long period.
The Shia community observes mourning during these 10 days which began on September 1.
Muharram processions have not been allowed in Kashmir since 1990, when militancy broke out in the Valley.
As a gesture, the administration has shifted some Shia leaders including former Minister Imran Ansari from the detention centre at Centaur Hotel to their homes.
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