Restrictions were imposed in the capital Srinagar and other sensitive areas of the Valley to prevent protests post Friday prayers.
Security was stepped up in parts of Kashmir including the capital city Srinagar where the authorities disallowed the congregational prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid for the ninth consecutive Friday.
Fearing law and order breakdown, the district administration didn’t allow the congregational prayers at the historic mosque in Nowhatta area of Srinagar.
A senior police officer said curbs were imposed in parts of Srinagar especially in the parts of downtown amid fears that people may take out demonstrations after the culmination of Friday prayers.
Reports said normal life continued to remain affected for the 61st consecutive day of the prevailing uncertainty after the Centre abrogated the Article 370 and bifurcated the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories (UT’s).
However, as compared with the Fridays of the last two months, there was an improvement in the movement of private transport as well as ordinary people. Even though it was drizzling throughout the day, people were seen hitting the city centre Lal Chowk as weather showed signs of improvement towards evening.
According to witnesses, shops, business establishments, public transport, and educational institutions continue to remain shut.
Pools of concertina wires were placed on all the major roads of Srinagar’s downtown areas that include Bohri Kadal, Sara fKadal, Nalamar Road, MR Gunj, Nowhatta and Hawal, with the deployment of security forces personnel wearing riot gear to deal with the possible protestors.A security official said that the restrictions were imposed to thwart after Friday prayers protest.
In civil line areas, no restrictions were in place. Eye-witnesses said that private vehicles were plying normally in the uptown Srinagar that include Dalgate, Sonawar, Jehangir Chowk, Rajbagh, Jawhar nagar, Lal Chowk, and other areas. However, shops and other commercial establishments remained shut. Public transport also remained off the roads for the 9th straight week.
Jammu and Kashmir is currently under President's rule. The state Assembly was dissolved on November 2018 after the ruling coalition between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) fell apart in June 2018.
The Valley has remained under lockdown for nearly two months since the abrogation of the Article 370 by the BJP-led Centre and a sweeping crackdown on not just militants but even mainstream parties like National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party with former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti under detention.
An array of political leaders, businessmen, lawyers, activists and others have also been confined to Centaur Hotel on the banks of Dal Lake which has been declared as a sub-jail by the state administration. No announcement has yet been made on the charges under which the mainstream leaders and others have been arrested, and whether and when they will be released.
Relatives of Omar and Mehbooba recently were allowed to meet the leaders at Hari Niwas Palace and a guest house at Cheshma Shahi where the two leaders are being held respectively while Dr Farooq has been booked under PSA and his Gupkar house has been declared as a subsidiary jail.
Earlier, the daughter of Mehbooba, Iltija Mufti, had written to the home minister that she was fearing for her life and that she was being denied permission to meet her mother who she said has been confined to ‘one room’.