Friday prayers allowed at Jamia Masjid after 10 weeks

Congregational prayers were allowed at the historic Jamia Masjid on Friday, 22 December, after remaining barred for 10 consecutive weeks, officials said. "The Friday prayers were allowed and concluded without any disturbance," an official said.

However, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who delivers the Friday sermons at the grand mosque, was not allowed to move out of his residence in the Nigeen area of the city.

The congregational prayers had remained barred for 10 weeks because of the apprehensions of protests against Israeli action in Gaza.