Srinagar: The Friday prayers were disallowed for the third consecutive week at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar’s old city as curfew-like restrictions were imposed to prevent protests on the fifth death anniversary of Muhammad Afzal Guru who was hanged and buried in Delhi’s Tihar jail in 2013.
Authorities had imposed restrictions under Section 144 CrPC in old city areas of Srinagar falling under the jurisdiction of M R Gunj, Nowhatta, Rainawari, Safa Kadal and Khanyar since early Friday morning to prevent any protest called by the joint resistance leadership (JRL).
All roads leading to Jamia Masjid remained closed and the main gates of the historic mosque, where Valley’s head priest and chairman of his faction of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq addresses Friday congregation every week., were locked.
Mirwaiz continues to be under house arrest.
Heavy deployment of government forces was seen outside the grand masjid.
