In order to foil the possible protests in Kashmir capital Srinagar, authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have imposed restrictions in parts of old Srinagar city.Joint Resistance Leadership had called for “peaceful protest” after weekly congregational prayers to protest the suspension of life sentences of army soldiers involved in Machhil fake encounter and “persecution of pro-freedom leadership”. A military court has reportedly suspended the life sentences and granted bail to five army men, including two officers, convicted for extrajudicial killing of three civilians near Line of Control (LoC) in 2010.Reports said that restrictions were imposed in various parts of old Srinagar city while heavy security arrangements had been made to foil the protests. Reports added that government forces had sealed the historic Jamia Masjid while police vans were seen announcing curfew in different parts of the city.No Friday prayers were allowed for the consecutive sixth Friday at historic Jamia Masjid. All the gates of the mosque had been locked by government forces while people were not allowed to move towards the historic mosque. Hurriyat (M) chairperson Mirwaiz Umar Farooq who is also Kashmir’s head priest and addresses the people every Friday continues to remain under house detention.Reports from Srinagar said that a protest was staged in Maisuma that was attended by scores of people. The protesters while raising slogans against NIA condemned the decision of military court to revoke the life sentence of those army men responsible for the killing of innocent people in Machil.
In Rainawari, locals attacked policemen with stones who had arrived in area to detain a couple of youth allegedly involved in stone-pelting incidents. The massive stone-pelting forced police party to retreat from the area.A peaceful protest was staged by Tehreek-e-Hurriyat at Hyderpora. Scores of protesters amid pro-freedom slogans carrying placards and banners participated in the protest. Clashes erupted in Sopore town of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Friday after government forces prevented youth from holding a march against the verdict of military court in Machhil fake encounter case.Reports said that protesters after assembling outside Markazi Jamia masjid tried to march towards the main chowk.However, Forces deployed resorted to teargas shelling to disperse the protesters, triggering clashes. Shopkeepers lowered their shutters after the clashes.Thousands of people on Friday took part in a peaceful rally to protest the killing of a young tailor by army in Beerwah town of central Kashmir’s Budgam district.Witnesses said thousands of people assembled at main market Beerwah after the culmination of congregational Friday prayers and took out a peaceful protest rally.The protesters were raising pro-freedom and anti-India slogans as they headed towards the martyrs’ graveyard to offer prayers to Tanveer Ahmad Wani, 22.Wani was killed after army opened fire in Beerwah town last Friday.A spontaneous shutdown was observed in the town after the weekly congregational prayers. (CNS)