The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday (July 5, 2025) lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against Shia mourners who allegedly “intended to provoke unrest and disturb public order” during a Muharram procession on Friday.
According to the police, the accused were identified and legal proceedings were underway. “FIR No. 41/2025 under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered at the Police Station Kothibagh,” the police said.
A Muharram procession was carried out by Shia Muslims from the city centre Lal Chowk on Friday amid tight security. It’s for the third time that the authorities allowed the Muharram procession in the area, which was barred since the 1990s in Kashmir.
The police did not divulge any details about the actions for which the FIR was lodged. However, the police have clamped down on those who erected banners carrying the pictures of Hezbollah commander Hassan Nasrallah. After the Iran-U.S. war, posters and banners of Iranian and Hezbollah commanders and pro-Palestine slogans have surfaced in Kashmir.
‘Disturb public order’
“These actions were intended to provoke unrest, disturb public order, and disrupt communal harmony, posing a serious threat to the security and integrity of the nation,” the police said.
National Conference (NC) Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah has defended those who hoist pro-Palestine banners, saying “it goes as per the Constitution and the country’s official stand”.
During the month of Muharram, Shias across the world mourn the death of close relatives of Prophet Muhammad during the battle of Karbala.
