Prohibitory orders have been issued by the District Magistrate under section 144 of the CrPC in Kargil, Drass and Sankoo tehsils of the district of Kargil. The order that prohibits an assembly of four or more persons has already come into effect from 5 AM on August 8.
Baseer Ul Haq Chaudhary, Kargil District Magistrate, issued the order stating “It has been made to appear to me in view of the prevailing situation in the State there may emerge situations that may lead to breach of peace and tranquility in Tehsil Kargil, Drass and Sankoo.”
The order further states that “any pre-planned congregation/sudden unforseen congregation of any nature shall be conducted only with the prior approval of the District Magistrate, Kargil in writing.”
This is especially curious because Eid if just a few days away, and as a major festival in the region, it sees people coming together for celebrations. It is also odd if this means people would require written permission of the District Magistrate before holding festive gatherings in their own homes or if it applies to namaaz gatherings. No end date for the prohibitory orders has been mentioned and it remains to be seen if the orders would be lifted before the festival.
The entire order may be read here:
