Shutdown call by separatists disrupts normal life
Friday prayers disallowed in Jamia Masjid Srinagar
Srinagar: Normal life was affected in Kashmir Friday due to a strike called by separatists to protest the killing of a civilian following an encounter between militants and security forces in Pulwama district.
Most of the shops, fuel stations and other business establishments were shut in Srinagar — the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
Public transport was off the roads, but a few private cars, cabs and auto-rickshaws were seen plying in some areas of the city, they said.
The authorities ordered closure of schools and colleges in Srinagar as a precautionary measure in view of the strike, the officials said.
They said similar reports of shutdown were received from other district headquarters of the Valley.
The separatists — under the banner of Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) — on Thursday asked people to observe a shutdown on Friday against civilian killings during the month of Ramzan.
The civilian, Rayees Dar, was killed on Thursday after an encounter between militants and security forces in Pulwama district of the state.
Six militants were also killed in encounters with security forces in Shopian and Pulwama districts on Thursday. Two soldiers also lost their lives in the encounters.
A youth, who had sustained grievous injuries in clashes during protests at Pattan in Baramulla district against the rape of a three-year-old girl in Bandipore, died at SKIMS hospital here Wednesday night.
At many places authorities imposed restrictions in Srinagar areas to thwart any protests against the killings.
Witnesses said that various Srinagar areas in Old City here were put under restrictions, adding that a large number of police and paramilitary troopers were deployed in the restriction bound areas who had erected concertina wires, thus halting pedestrians as well as vehicular movement.
Moreover, the mandatory Friday congregational prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid were disallowed by the authorities.
A large number of forces personnel were deployed around Jamia Masjid here while as all the four gates of historic Masjid remained closed on Friday, they added.
Locals said that the forces were deployed in the area since the wee hours of Friday who did not allow people to offer the prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid.
Meanwhile Jamia Masjid’s head cleric and Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq termed closure of 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 ruler’s utter disdain for people’s religious rights or hurting their sentiments which is very sad,” Mirwaiz tweeted.
KV News
