Srinagar: Authorities barred Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid here while chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who usually delivers sermon at the historic mosque, remained under house arrest at Nigeen residence.
Reports said heavy deployment of police and paramilitary forces was made since morning in Old City and the authorities did not allow the prayers in the historic mosque, the sixteen such occasion this year.
They said Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, one of the key members of the Joint Resistance Leadership, which called for strike over the killing of PhD scholar turned militant Manan Wani along with associate in a gunfight with the government forces in home district of Kupwara yesterday, remained under house arrest. Other JRL leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani also remained under house arrest,