Srinagar: Curfew like restrictions have been imposed in the down town and Shehar-e-Khas (SeK) in summer capital, Srinagar, to prevent protests after Friday prayers against ethnic cleansing of “ Rohingya Muslims” in the Rakhine state of Myanmar.
Strongly condemning the killings of Rohingya Muslims, moderate Hurriyat Conference (HC) chairman Mirwaiz Maulvi Umar Farooq, who also heads “Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU)”, joined several other religious had urged people to hold peaceful protests after Friday prayers in solidarity with the victims.
Mirwaiz, who was scheduled to address Friday congregation at historic Jamia Masjid has been put under house arrest on September 7 evening to prevent him from leading the protests.
Police said Restrictions under Section 144 CrPC have been imposed in the areas falling under five police stations of SeK and down town since early this morning to maintain law and order.
This is for the first time restrictions were imposed in the down town and SeK in September. However, in August restrictions were imposed frequently in August month to prevent any law and order problem.
However, the situation was entirely different on the ground as security forces and state police personnel had closed all roads with barbed wire and by parking bullet proof vehicles in the middle.
School buses of different educational institutions were also sent back by the security forces. We have instructions not to allow anybody to enter the restricted areas, said security forces in the down town.
Students and employees of restricted areas also remained confined in their homes.
Hundreds of state police and security forces, wearing bullet proof jackets and holding automatic weapons and lathis in their hands have been deployed in the down town and SeK.
The entire Nallahmar had been closed and security forces were seen directing people to stay indoor. Security forces had closed the main roads and bylanes with barbed wire at several places, including Rajouri Kadal, Khanyar crossing, Rangar stop, Nowhatta, Bulbul Lankar, Bohri Kadal, Ali Kadal and Kadikadal. People of these areas alleged that milkmen and vegetable sellers were not allowed from outskirts.
All gates of historic Jamia Masjid, stronghold of Mirwaiz, have been locked to prevent any gathering there. Security forces and state police personnel had been deployed in the Jamia market and outside to prevent people from entering the Masjid. Roads leading to Masjid at Rangar Stop from Khanyar side and Hawal from outskirts have been closed with barbed wire and nobody was being allowed to go towards Masjid.
However, there were no restriction in and around the areas near Dastigeer Sahib Shrine at Khanyar.
Life in elsewhere in the city was near normal as shops and business establishments, barring belonging to traders from down town and SeK, were open and traffic plying normally.
However, due to restrictions business and other activities remained paralysed in the down town and SeK.
Mirwaiz had called for peaceful protests after Friday prayers to show support and express solidarity with the Rohingya Muslims.
He further said that the joint resolution will later be sent to human rights organizations across the globe, including Organization of Islamic countries (OIC) and the United Nations (UN) for immediate end to massacre of Rohingya Muslims.
The OIC should break its criminal silence over such a serious issue confronting a large Muslim population of Rohingya and play its role to stop their killings and prosecution by the Myanmar state, he said.
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