Normal life crippled due to strike in Kashmir

TNN Bureau. Updated: 2/17/2018 12:27:55 PM Jammu and Kashmir

Srinagar, Feb 17 : Normal life was crippled on Saturday in Kashmir valley due to a strike called by the separatists against shifting of detenues to outside valley jails and killing of Hurriyat Conference (HC) leader by unidentified gunmen recently.

Meanwhile, curfew-like restrictions were imposed on Saturday morning in the areas falling under the jurisdiction of M R Gunj, Nowhatta, Rainawari, Safa Kadal and Khanyar in the downtown and SeK, besides in Maisuma and Kralkhud of Srinagar as a precautionary measure, to prevent any law and order problem.

The authorities have also suspended train service between Baramulla in north Kashmir to Banihal in Jammu region for security reasons.

Shops and business establishments were closed and traffic was off the road in civil lines and uptown Srinagar. However, few private vehicles, particularly two-wheelers, could be seen plying on some routes in the city.

Business and other activities were crippled in main business hubs of the city, including historic Lal Chowk, the nerve-centre of summer capital, Budshah Chowk, Regal Chowk, Maisuma, Hari Singh High Street (HSHS), Batmaloo, Moulana Azad Road, Residency Road and Dalgate.

Additional security forces, wearing bullet proof jackets and holding weapons and lathis in their hands, were seen patrolling the streets in many sensitive areas in the city and outskirts to prevent any untoward incident.

Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), comprising Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq and Mohammad Yaseen Malik have called for a strike today against the shifting of detunes from here to Jammu and outside state jails, killing of HC leader Mohammad Yousuf Nadeem by unidentified gunmen in central Kashmir district of Badgam and recent Supreme court order staying action against army personnel allegedly involved in the firing incident in Shopian in which three persons were killed. Police has registered a case against the Army personnel, against a Major whose father has challenged it in the Supreme Court.

A report from Anantnag said life was crippled in this and other south Kashmir towns and tehsil headquarters, where shops and business establishments were closed and traffic was off the road in support of the strike. Additional security forces have been deployed in entire south Kashmir, including Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian, to prevent any law and order problem. Security has also been stepped up along the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, particularly at Pampore, Awantipora and Bijbehara to prevent any protests.

Life also came to a grinding halt in central Kashmir districts of Budgam and Ganderbal in support of the strike called by separatists.

Hundreds of security forces and state police personnel were deployed in major towns and tehsil headquarters to stop protests, said a report from north Kashmir, where business and other activities were crippled and traffic was off the roads in support of the strike. Additional security forces had been deployed on the bridges, connecting old town with civil lines in Baramulla and Sopore.


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