ISLAMABAD; Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday "strongly denounced" a ban on Eid prayer gatherings by Indian authorities in certain areas of occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

In a phone call with Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas earlier today, PM Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to continue to extend moral, political, and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people until they get the right to self-determination, a report by Radio Pakistan said.

According to Indian online news portal The Print, authorities did not allow Eid prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in the Nowhatta area of Srinagar after the management committee refused to accept the conditions posed by the administration.

The administration had asked the management committee to hold the prayers before 7 am and give an undertaking for maintaining peace and order during and after the congregation.

Meanwhile, Hindustan Times reported that no prayers were held on Tuesday even at the Srinagar Eidgah, where thousands of people typically converge for Eid prayers.

On Tuesday, the premier telephoned President Dr Arif Alvi, services chiefs, chief ministers of all provinces, leaders of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), and senior politicians and extended them Eid greetings.

A day after holding similar telephone conversations with leaders of the Muslim world, the premier extended warm wishes to the local leadership along with discussing the political situation in the country.

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office, the PM interacted with Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Naval Chief Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, and exchanged Eid greetings with them.

He also spoke to the chief ministers of Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Gilgit Baltistan, and the acting governor of Balochistan. PM Shehbaz, however, could not talk to the chief minister of Balochistan as the later was travelling abroad.

He, the statement added, also interacted with allies Maulana Asad Mahmood, Mohsin Dawar, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Allama Sajid Mir, Khalid Magsi, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Ali Nawaz Shah, Shahzain Bugti, Aslam Bhotani and Chaudhry Salik Hussain.

The prime minister also telephoned former president Asif Ali Zardari, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Sirajul Haq, and PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman who reciprocated the greetings.