Srinagar, Jul 25 (IANS): Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Vijay Kumar Bidhuri on Tuesday said that J&K administration is serious on lifting the decades old-ban on two large Muharram processions in Srinagar city.

He said that the administration has asked the Shia community leaders to communicate the number of people who will be participating in these two processions.

“The ball is now in their court,” the official said.

He said a series of meetings were held on lifting of the ban imposed decades ago on two large processions of Muharram on two routes of the city in the Islamic month of Muharram.

Local Shia Muslims would take out two large mourning processions on 8th and 10th day of the Muharram month to mourn the death of Holy Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) grandson, Imam Hussain by the army of Yazid at Karbala in Iraq.

The statement by the senior government official came after a meeting with LG Manoj Sinha where the arrangements for Muharram processions were discussed.

Meanwhile, Shia leader and former minister Imran Raza Ansari told reporters that he walked out of the meeting after he had an argument with the Chief Secretary Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta over these arrangements.