Srinagar, July 3 -- Maulana Masroor Abbas Ansari will address the mourners before taking out the procession.

The traditional route-spanning Guru Bazar to Dalgate-was off-limits for mourners since 1989, when authorities, citing concerns over law and order and alleged political undertones, imposed a blanket ban on major Muharram processions. For 34 years, from the onset of militancy until 2023, Shia mourners were barred from marching along the city's central stretch. Nevertheless, smaller gatherings and processions continued to be held in inner mohallas and neighbourhoods, preserving the essence of azadari and the remembrance of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (A.S.).

In a major policy shift, the Jammu and Kashmir administration under Lieut...