KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Curfew and curbs remained in force in old Srinagar city as a precautionary measure even as normal life remained affected in the Valley for the 97th day.
A police official said curfew remains in force in five police station areas of downtown Srinagar.
Curbs on the movement of people in the police station areas of Nowhatta, Khanyar, Rainawari, Safakadal and Maharaj Gunj have been imposed as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order.
The official said while there were no curbs on the movement of people anywhere else in Kashmir, restrictions on the assembly of people under Section 144 Cr PC were in force throughout the Valley.
As usual heavy deployment of forces was made across Kashmir to maintain law and order while in restive parts mobile bunkers were created.
Some parts of civil lines including Lal Chowk, Dalgate, Sonwar, Raj Bagh and Jawahar Nagar witnessed considerable movement of private and government vehicles while vendors had erected stalls in large numbers from Polo View to TRC chowk. Roadside vendors were also seen doing business in other parts of city including Hari Singh High Street, Batamaloo and Jawahar Nagar. Some shops were seen open in Jawahar Nagar and Raj Bagh.
However, normal life elsewhere in the Valley remained affected for the 97th consecutive day in the aftermath of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani’s killing on July 8.
Shops, business establishments, petrol pumps and educational institutions remained closed, while public transport continued to be off the roads.
The shops and other business establishments remained open during the periodic relaxation announced by the resistance leadership on certain days of the week.
Scores of men, women and children took to streets in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district against the youth arrests.
Witnesses said that the protesters, chanting pro-freedom slogans, staged a protest in Rahmoo village to demand the release of youths arrested during forces’ raid.
They said that during the raid two youth Bilal Ahmed Dar and Hilal Ahmed Itoo were picked up and lodged in police station Pulwama. The protesters said that both the youths are innocent.
A massive protest was also staged in Pulwama against the arrest of a cleric Maulana Sajad Hashmi and his two brothers Shabir Ahmed and Shahnawaz Ahmed.
Hashmi is a preacher at Central Jamia Masjid Nagbal Shopian who along with his two brothers was arrested during a nocturnal raid at Rajpora Pulwama.
Witnesses said that a large number of people took to roads and demanded the immediate release of Maulana Hashmi and his two brothers.
The protest demonstration was organized by Sunni Jamiat Taliba. “We all know Maulana Hashmi and his brothers are innocent. The detention of Hashmi and his brothers is sheer harassment. Mehbooba Mufti led government has crossed all the limits in repressing and suppressing people of Kashmir,” the protesters said.
Forces, meanwhile, resorted to tear-gas shelling and pellet firing to disperse agitated protesters who were protesting against the raid on the residence of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat leader Muhammad Yousuf Falahi at Chitragam village of Shopian district in South Kashmir.
Reports said that forces raided the house of Falahi that sparked protest. The protesters hit roads while forces fired pellets and tear-smoke shells to disperse them. The clashes that continued for hours leaving at least nine persons wounded.
Meanwhile, another Tehreek-e-Hurriyat member from southern Pulwama district was booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) on Thursday. He was identified as Manzoor Ahmad Baghat, who was arrested few days back near District Hospital Pulwama.
He is likely to be shifted to a jail in Kathua in Jammu region.
Clashes erupted in Tahab village of Pulwama also after forces arrested three people, including two minors.
Reports and witnesses said that people took to streets in Tahab to protest against the arrests.
They said that forces resorted to teargas shelling on the protesters, triggering massive clashes.
(With inputs from Current News Service)
