Jumma-Tul-Vida prayers held across Kashmir, barring Jamia Masjid

Srinagar, Jun 23: Jumma-Tul-Vida prayers were held across Kashmir Valley, barring historic Jamia Masjid in downtown Srinagar, where curfew restrictions were imposed to stop protests against the killing of a youth in the security force firing yesterday.

This is for the first time in the history after Independence that prayers on Jumma-Tul-Vida, last Friday of Holy month of Ramadan, were not allowed in Jamia Masjid. Prayers were offered in the Valley, barring in mosques on main roads in the areas where curfew restrictions were imposed in the downtown and Shehar-e-Khaas (SeK). Lakhs of people, including women and children, from different parts of the Valley joined Friday prayers at Hazratbal shrine, which houses the holy Relic of Prophet Mohammad, on the bank of Dal Lake. Because of heavy rush of devotees, the Friday prayer was offered outside the shrine to accommodate the devotees.

Thousands of people also joined the Friday prayers at the shrine of Hazrat Mehboob-ul-Alam, Jenab Sahib Soura, Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadeer Jeelani at Khanyar and Sarai Bala, Sheikh Nooruddin Wali at Charar-e-Sharief and other mosques, Jamia Masjids and shrines across the Kashmir Valley. Condemning the curb, moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Maulvi Umar Farooq, who was placed under house arrest early this morning, said, "It is for the first time in the living memory of people that they are being barred from offering Juma-Tul-Vida prayers at Jamia Masjid by authorities.' Officials said that restrictions have been imposed to maintain law and order in the areas falling under the jurisdiction of seven police stations in the SeK and downtown Srinagar, where a Deputy Superintendent of Police (security wing) was beaten to death by a mob late last night.

All the roads leading to Jamia Masjid, where Mirwaiz addresses congregation every Friday, were closed with barbed wire. Both the factions of Hurriyat Conference (HC) and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) had called for a protest after Friday prayers against the killing the youth.