Friday prayers not allowed for third week in Jamia Masjid in Srinagar

Srinagar, Oct 20: No Friday prayers were allowed for the third successive week in the historic Jamia Masjid in downtown Srinagar, where curfew-like restrictions have been imposed to prevent any violence following a call for holding protests by separatists against braid chopping incidents in the Valley. Police said restrictions under Section 144 CrPC had been imposed as a precautionary measure in the areas falling under the jurisdiction of police station MR Gunj, Nowhatta, Khanyar, Safa Kadal and Rainawari in the SeK and down. Similar restrictions were also imposed since Friday morning in Kralkhud in the old city and Maisuma, stronghold of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) in the civil lines. All roads leading to Jamia Masjid, where chairman of moderate Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq, who remained under house arrest since this morning, addresses congregation every Friday, were closed. Both the factions of the Hurriyat and separatist organisation had appealed to the people to hold protests after Friday prayers in their respective areas against braid chopping incidents. A large number of security forces and state police personnel remained deployed outside the Masjid and adjoining areas to stop any movement on the roads. 'There was also no ‘Azaan’ (call for prayers) in the historic Masjid today,' local residents said, adding that nobody was allowed to enter the area. However, prayers were offered in the Valley, barring in mosques on main roads in the areas where restrictions were imposed. Prayers were offered at Hazratbal shrine, which houses the holy Relic of Prophet Muhammad, on the bank of Dal Lake. Reports of offering Friday prayers were also received from other parts of the Valley. UNI