MLA Budgam Urges Govt to Review Ban on Traditional Ashura Procession Route | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Budgam MLA Aga Muntazir Mehdi on Thursday urged the Jammu and Kashmir administration to initiate discussions on the long-pending issue of the traditional Muthida Jaloos Ashura route, stating that thousands of devotees were awaiting a decision ahead of Muharram.

The administration has rightly begun reviewing preparations for the upcoming Amarnath Yatra. However, it is equally important that attention be given to the long-pending issue of the ban on Muthida Jaloos Ashura ( Traditional Route).
With Month commencing, no meeting has yet… https://t.co/1JOVBSGh8a

— Muntazir Mehdi (@Agasyedmuntazir) June 10, 2026

In a post on X, Mehdi said that while the administration had rightly begun reviewing arrangements for the forthcoming Amarnath Yatra, equal attention should be given to the issue of the traditional Ashura procession route.

He noted that no meeting had yet been convened to discuss the matter despite Muharram approaching and called for a timely decision by the authorities.

“Thousands of devotees are awaiting a decision. Religious rights and sentiments deserve timely consideration, and the administration should act without delay to bring clarity and confidence among the people,” Mehdi said.

The MLA’s remarks come as authorities across Jammu and Kashmir intensify preparations for the annual Amarnath Yatra, holding a series of review meetings on security, logistics and other arrangements.

The traditional Ashura procession route remains a matter of significant religious importance for the Shia community in Kashmir. The decades-old ban on the 10th of Muharram (Ashura) procession along its traditional eight-kilometre route from Abi Guzar through Lal Chowk to Zadibal in Srinagar continues to remain in force. Authorities have historically cited law and order concerns for maintaining the restriction, with security deployments and barricades put in place along key routes during the observance.