#Day23: Undeclared Curfew, Shutdown Continue In Valley

   

Kashmir News Service

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SRINAGAR

Shutdown on July 31, 2016
Curfewed Srinagar on July 31, 2016. (KL Images: Bilal Bahadur)

Undeclared curfew continued to be imposed in parts of Srinagar city and south Kashmir while strict restrictions were imposed in force in others parts of the Valley to thwart protests by the people.

Curfew continued on Sunday in the areas falling under six police stations in Downtown and Batamaloo area of Srinagar and in towns of Islamabad, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam, a police official said.

People offered 'Asr' Namaz on roads as a 'mark of protest' in Srinagar.
People offered ‘Asr’ Namaz on roads as a ‘mark of protest’ in Srinagar.

Restrictions were placed in Baramulla town, Bandipora, and in Handwara areas and in Imam Sahib area of Shopian district

Namaz on Roads at Rainawari on July 31, 2016

The shutdown called by the separatists also continued today, with both curfew and shutdown paralyzing life in the Valley.

Rajouri Kadal Curfewed

Schools, shops, and business units continue to be closed down due to curfew and shutdown. Only medical shops are allowed to open across the valley. However, there was no major clash reported today in any part of the Valley when this report was filed.

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“People are pouring out on streets to protest in these places. During protests, youth start pelting stones and security forces retaliate by firing teargas shells and pellets, due to which injuries take place which further intensify protest,” said the police official, posted in south Kashmir. He wished not to be named.

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“In order to prevent injuries and protests, we have imposed curfew and strict restrictions in these areas,” he said.

Curfewed Srinagar 1

In South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, a rally was organized by the youth in Karimabad village, the native place of slain HM militant Naseer Ahmad Pandit, a cop-turned-militant, who had fled with three AK-47 service rifles while on duty with former PDP minister, Syed Altaf Bukhari.

CRPF men stopping Ambulance

Witnesses said that thousands of youth had gathered in a ground, adjacent to ‘Martyrs Graveyard’, in Karimabad to pay tributes to the slain militants.

Curfewed Srinagar

The youth had come from different villages of the district including Rajpora, Pinglena, Kakapora, Gudoora, Pahoo, Lelhar, Panzgam, Lajoora, Puchal and several other villages to attend the gathering.

‘Karimabad chalo’ was response to the united resistance leadership call who had appealed people to visit the ‘Martyrs Graveyards’ to offer Fateh Khawani there.

Locals had arranged food and drinking water for the people who had gathered there.

However, Superintendent of Police, Pulwama, Muhammad Rayees Bhat said that curfew has been imposed in Pulwama, and there has been no large gathering of people in Karimabad.

Meanwhile, amid curfew and the on-going uprising, more than 10,000 aspirants appeared in the common entrance test conducted by the J&K State Board of Professional Courses Entrance Examination (BOPEE) for entrance to MBBS and BDS courses.

The public convention at Dupatyar Islamabad on July 31, 2016. (KL Image: Shah Hilal)
The public convention at Dupatyar Islamabad on July 31, 2016. (KL Image: Shah Hilal)

The government officials said that 17 centres were established for the test. The administration had made special arrangements to provide transport to candidates for reaching the venue of the test. All the centers were fixed in safer areas of the city to ensure smooth conduct of the test.

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Education Minister visited Government Women’s College here, but they faced a hostile situation as the parents of the aspirants shouted slogans against the chief minister and her government.

The protesting parents said that the presence of the chief minister and her security will disturb the candidates. Soon, the chief minister left the venue.

People offering 'Asr' Namaz on a road in Kanelwan area of South Kashmir. (KL Image: Shah Hilal)
People offering ‘Asr’ Namaz on a road in Kanelwan area of South Kashmir. (KL Image: Shah Hilal)

Meanwhile, the separatists, including both factions of the Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, respectively, and the JKLF led by Mohammad Yasin Malik, have extended the on-going protest up to Friday. They have also called for a march to Hazratbal (shrine) on Friday.

The on-going uprising erupted on July 8 when popular Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in a brief gunfight in Kokernag, in Islamabad district.

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