Addressing the congregation at the historic Jamia Masjid in old city Srinagar on Friday afternoon, the Mirwaiz said: "We will oppose all efforts aimed at fanning division of the Kashmiri Muslims on sectarian lines. If need be, we will expose the elements and institutions patronised by the government for the purpose."
Violent clashes broke out between a group of youths and security forces in parts of the city on Saturday, leaving a youth and a policeman injured in stone pelting as separatist groups called a strike in Srinagar condemning the police action on Jamia Masjid on Friday.
CRPF personnel on Friday fired warning shots after their vehicle was attacked by a group of stone pelters outside the Jamia Masjid in downtown Srinagar, officials said.
Moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday asked Union Minister Farooq Abdullah to take "rest" following his suggestion for reopening of cinemas and liquor shops in Jammu and Kashmir to provide more options for tourists.
Moderate Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq on Friday welcomed Indo-Pakistan talks as a "good omen" and said bold initiatives were needed for the success of the bilateral dialogue process. "It is a good omen that India and Pakistan have agreed to write a new chapter in their history. There is a need for taking bold steps, leaving behind the past bitterness and the practice of complicating the issues," Mirwaiz said while addressing a Friday congregation at Jamia Masjid.
Despite Army Chief Bipin Rawat's stern message, Kashmiri youths on Friday waved Pakistani and Islamic State flags and pelted stones at security forces in old Srinagar city.
The blast, which targeted the Jamia Masjid in Jamrud area of Khyber tribal agency, took place as people were leaving after Friday prayers.
Terrorists, who used ladders to clamber over the walls of the Jamia Masjid near Parade Lane, lobbed grenades and fired indiscriminately at worshippers, including serving and retired military personnel, who had gathered for Friday prayers at the shrine near army's heavily-guarded General Headquarters. The attackers also exchanged fire with the mosque's security guards. Two of the attackers then blew themselves up in the mosque, intelligence sources were quoted as saying.
Kashmir remained the biggest hurdle in relations between India and Pakistan and it should top the agenda of any talks between the two countries, moderate Hurriyat Conference leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq said on Friday.
Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed has asked Muslim men to 'make their women observe pardah' and criticised co-education, saying it is perverting the youth of Pakistan. Delivering the sermon during Friday prayers at the JuD's Jamia Masjid Al-Qadsia at Chowburji in Lahore, Saeed described the ban imposed by France and other European countries on wearing the 'hijab' and constructing minarets in mosques as a "conspiracy against Muslims."
Pakistan has assured that it would not put the core issue of Kashmir on the backburner, chairman of the Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umer Farooq said on Friday.
"Kashmir is an issue concerning the people living in five regions -- three under Indian control and two under Pakistani control. The state should be united as it existed on August 14, 1947 and its people decide the future," Mirwaiz said addressing the congregation at Jamia Masjid in Srinagar.
Continuing his anti-India rant, the chief of Jamaat-ud-Dawah Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, has now said that 'jihad' is the only way to free Jammu and Kashmir from the "Indian yoke". Saeed, who India blames for masterminding the 2008 Mumbai attacks, made the remarks while addressing a meeting of JuD workers at the Jamia Masjid Mukarram at Daska in Punjab province on Monday.
Rejecting the Central Bureau of Investigation's report, the moderate Hurriyat Conference on Friday demanded an international probe into the alleged rape and murder of two women in Shopian. "We demand an international probe into the Shopian double rape and murder case to unveil the truth and the government of India should have no objection if the CBI report was based on facts," Mirwaiz Umer Farooq told a Friday congregation at Jamia Masjid in Srinagar today.
A youth was killed and 30 others were injured in post Friday prayer protests in the old city areas late this afternoon.Fierce clashes erupted soon after the worshippers were leaving the various mosques including the Jamia masjid in old city.
Two BJP activists were injured in skirmishes with the police as demonstrators burnt tyres and torched effigies of the governor, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Peoples Democratic Party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, the police said.
Chairman of the moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umer Farooq Friday claimed that the initiative of the separatist amalgam for "trilateral talks" with India and Pakistan has been received well in Islamabad.
Twelve people, including two girls, were injured in running battles between protesters and police lasting several hours.
Chairman of the breakaway Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani was again put under house arrest on Thursday to prevent him from taking part in the Friday congregation at the holy Hazratbal shrine.Geelani had given a 'Hazratbal chalo' call to offer special prayers for the 'victory' in the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board forest land issue. A spokesman of the HC, Aiyaz Akbar, told UNI that a large number of police personnel were deployed outside his residence.
At least 13 persons, including a woman and a cameraperson of a national news channel, were injured in Srinagar on Friday, as the police opened fire, lobbed teargas shells and used batons to chase away violent youths demanding the release of jailed separatist leaders.
Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Sajid Ahmad Gilkar was killed in an encounter on Wednesday.
India and Pakistan look to take the peace process to the next level.
In Round 1, 62 per cent strongly supported the continuation of the lockdown and 24 per cent expressed some support.
As the number of COVID-19 cases is witnessing a spike in India, religious places across the country remain closed to encourage social distancing, a key component in preventing the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
The moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference on Wednesday asked people to cancel the reception arranged for its seven-member delegation returning from Pakistan on Thursday.
At least 56 seminaries and facilities being run by JuD and its wing FIF in Pakistan's southern Sindh province have been taken over by authorities.
Security deployment remained in vulnerable areas and mobile and internet services were yet to be restored in most parts of the Valley 48 days after the Centre abrogated Article 370 provisions of the Constitution.
Restrictions under Section 144 CrPc have been imposed in few areas of the valley to maintain law and order, the officials said.
The weekly flea market opened in Srinagar on Sunday as several vendors put up their stalls on the TRC Chowk-Polo View axis, the officials said.
The DGP said the police have resolved not to spare the people behind the act. "It is the resolve of Jammu and Kashmir Police that we are not going to spare these rascals," he said.
Violent clashes were witnessed at two places in Kashmir on Friday, with stone-pelting mobs attacking security personnel who retaliated by lobbing teargas shells, officials said.
Two Army personnel were injured in the gunbattle.
Violence once again erupted in the Kashmir Valley when a group of people began to wave Pakistan and terror group Lashkar-e-Tayiba flags.
Private cars have come under stone-pelting at many places as the miscreants want to enforce shutdown.
Clashes broke out in Srinagar on Friday between police and people protesting against the Jammu and Kashmir high court order to implement 150-year-old law banning sale of beef in the state with some youth displaying Pakistani and ISIS flags.
The separatists termed the state government's appeal for help to restore normalcy as "childish and illogical".
Groups of youth took to the streets at Press Colony and Khanyar in support of Naik.
Kaiser Bhat, 21, a resident of the Fatehkadal area of Srinagar, was injured when the security forces vehicle allegedly hit him and another youth during the protests in the Nowhatta area of the city on Friday.
According to the order, all security and vehicles provided to the separatists will stand withdrawn by Sunday evening. No security forces or cover will be provided, under any pretext, to them or any other separatists. If they have any other facilities provided by the government, they are to be withdrawn forthwith.
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