KASHMIRI LEADERS CONDEMN JAMAAT BAN AMID TENSIONS

SRINAGAR: A day after the Jammu and Kashmir chapter of the Jamaat- e- Islami was banned, restrictions were imposed in several parts of the old city of Srinagar and south Kashmir’s Anantnag town over an apprehension of protests.

The Joint Resistance Leadership, comprising separatist leaders Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Yasin Malik and Syed Ali Geelani, had called for protests against the five-year ban.

‘’I have not been allowed to offer Friday prayers. Jama Masjid locked down and restrictions in most city, while arrests continue and Jamaat-e-Islami declared “unlawful”.

Dictatorship at its best,’’ tweeted Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

The Peoples Democratic Party and the Peoples Conference, both the former allies of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), criticised the government for the ban.

‘’Democracy is a battle of ideas, crackdown followed by banning of Jammat Islami (jk) is condemnable , another example of high handedness and muscular approach of GOI to deal with political issue of J&k,’’ tweeted former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.

The Union home ministry on Thursday banned the outfit for five years for allegedly indulging in activities “prejudicial to internal security and public order” and said the group has the potential of “disrupting the unity and integrity” of the country.

Since Saturday, the Jammu and Kashmir police had detained at least 400 to 500 top Jamaat leaders, including its Kashmir chief Abdul Hamid Fayaz, spokesperson Zahid Ali and former secretary Ghulam Qadir Lone.

In a statement, the Jamaat-e-Islami termed the arrests a “well-designed conspiracy to pave way for further uncertainty in the region”.