Massive protests in Kashmir after Friday prayers

Srinagar, Sep 5 (UNI) Barring an incident during which police burst teargas shells to disperse ''pro freedom'' processionists, protests after Friday prayers in different parts of the Kashmir valley remained, by and large, peaceful.

The call for holding protest demonstrations after Friday prayers near respective mosques was given by the Coordination Committee (CC), spearheading agitation.

The CC, an alliance of both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference (HC) and different trade, fruit, lawyers, separatist and other organistions, is demanding release of all detenues, opening of all roads with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) for trade, withdrawal of troops and special powers to security forces in the valley.

As the Friday prayers were over, hundreds of people led by Moulana Showkat, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) vice president Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Hurriyat leader Javid Ahmad Mir and Shahidul Islam took out a procession despite rains.

They later held a demonstration for about half a hour at Budshah Chowk before dispersing peacefully.

Similar procession was taken from the shrine of Dastagir Sabhib at Sarai Bala. After marching through busy Hari Singh High Street, Jehangir Chowk, Budshah chowk, they dispersed peacefully.

The processionists raising ''pro-freedom'' slogans asked the shopkeepers to keep open their establishments during the demonstration which remained peaceful.

However, police fired several teargas shells to disperse pro freedom slogan shouting processionists at Humhama in the central Kashmir district of Badgam.

At Budshah Nagar, Natipora, hundreds of people hold demonstrations for about an hour before dispersing peacefully.

Reports of similar peaceful demonstrations were also received from several parts of the valley.

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