Srinagar: Protests were reported on Friday in several Shia-majority areas of Kashmir, including Magam and Budgam, against the US-Israel strikes on Iran, officials told PTI.
Anticipating demonstrations on the final Friday of Ramzan, authorities imposed restrictions in Srinagar and other parts of the valley, particularly in areas with significant Shia populations.
Officials said these limits on public gatherings were introduced in the morning as a precautionary step to maintain law and order amid the possibility of protests.
Demonstrators raised slogans condemning the actions of the US and Israel in Iran and expressing support for Palestine. Officials added that the protests had remained peaceful so far and that the situation was being closely monitored.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held their fourth phone conversation since the outbreak of the West Asian conflict.
Juma-tul-Vida, the last Friday of Ramzan, is also observed as Youm-ul-Quds, a day meant to show solidarity with Palestine. Authorities feared that anti-Israel protests could intensify after congregational prayers.
As a precaution, officials also closed the historic Jamia Masjid in the Nowhatta area of Srinagar.
Kashmir’s chief cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, criticised the move in a post on X, saying that the mosque—where tens of thousands usually gather for prayers on the last Friday of Ramzan—had once again been locked.
He said this marked the seventh consecutive year that Muslims had not been permitted to offer prayers there. Drawing a comparison with restrictions at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramzan, the Mirwaiz described the situation as deeply distressing and condemned the closure of places of worship to devotees.
