Restrictions, shutdown bring life to standstill
Srinagar: Restricting the public as well as the ‘possible protests’ called by the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), the district administration on Monday imposed curbs in seven Police Station areas while a complete shutdown was observed across the Valley to mark a protest against the ‘atrocities’ in South Kashmir and plights of Kashmiri prisoners.
The officials of the district administration late Sunday evening had decided to impose restrictions in Srinagar areas today to thwart any possible protests called by the separatists.
JRL comprising of Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik had appealed people to observe complete shutdown across the Valley today to protest against what they termed as the forces ‘highhandedness’ in South Kashmir and against the sufferings of Kashmiri prisoners languishing in different jails.
Notably, the decision to impose restrictions and shutdown call by JRL came at a time when the Government of India’s special representative, Dineshwar Sharma is on six-day visit to the Valley to pave way for the ‘dialogue process’ to resolve the Kashmir issue.
The restrictions remained in force since the wee hours of this morning in Srinagar areas falling under the jurisdiction of seven Police Stations including Rainawari, Safakadal, Nowhatta, Khanyar, M R Gunj, Maisuma and Kralkhud.
A large contingent of state police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were deployed on the roads especially at the junctions to thwart any possible protests today while they also erected temporary barricades on the roads, preventing vehicular as well as pedestrian movement in the restriction bound areas, eyewitnesses said.
The JRL had also decided to hold a ‘public jalsa’ in Anantnag today.
In response of the JRL’s ‘public jalsa’, the authorities placed Mirwaiz Omar Farooq under house detention while Yasin Malik was detained in the wee hours of Monday and was shifted to Srinagar’s central jail.
Meanwhile, in response of the shutdown call for today, all shops and business establishments, educational institutes and petrol pumps remained closed throughout the day while the vehicular movement was also thin on the roads.
However, the public transport at a few places was seen plying normally.
Meanwhile, the train services between Banihal to Baramulla also remained suspended for the day as a precautionary measure. “We have suspended train services in the Valley on the advice from police,” a senior railway official said.
Notably, it is for the 45th time in the current ongoing year that the rail services remained affected in the Valley, fully or partially.
KV Correspondent
