Police in Indian occupied Kashmir (IOK) fired tear gas and warning shots on Tuesday to disperse members of the Shia Muslims community who attempted to participate in processions marking the month of Muharram. Hundreds of Muslims chanting religious and pro-freedom slogans took to the streets in the main city of Srinagar despite security restrictions banning the traditional procession. Muharram is among the most sacred months for Shia Muslims across the world and includes large processions in which people recite elegies to mourn the martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad’s (Peace Be Upon Him) grandson. The traditional religious procession turned violent last year as Indian forces fired shotgun pellets to disperse crowds, injuring dozens. Some main Muharram processions have been banned in Indian occupied Kashmir since 1989 when the locals demanded the region’s independence from India or its merger with Pakistan.

Source: Pakistan Today August 17, 2021 18:22 UTC