Curfew-like restrictions back in SeK, downtown Srinagar

Srinagar, Feb 17 : Curfew-like restrictions were imposed on Saturday in the downtown and Shehar-e-Khas (SeK) and some areas of civil lines and old city in Srinagar, following the separatists' strike call in protest against shifting of detenues to outside valley jails and killing of a senior Hurriyat Conference (HC) leader by unidentified gunmen recently.

Police said that restrictions under Section 144 CrPC have been imposed in the areas falling under the jurisdiction of M R Gunj, Nowhatta, Rainawari, Safa Kadal and Khanyar in the downtown and SeK since Saturday morning as a precautionary measure, to prevent any law and order problem.

Restrictions have also been imposed in some areas under police station Kralkhud and Maisuma in the old city and civil lines.

However, the situation on the ground was entirely different as security forces and state police personnel were directing people to remain indoors as curfew has been imposed since early this morning.

All gates of historic Jamia Masjid, where Friday prayers were offered on Friday after three weeks, have again been closed.

Large number of security forces and state police personnel have been deployed in the Jamia market and nearby areas to prevent anybody from entering the worship place, a stronghold of moderate Hurriyat Conference (HC) chairman Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq, who was again put under house arrest, immediately after he returned from Jamia Masjid, after addressing the Friday congregation.

Hundreds of police and security force personnel, wearing bullet proof jackets and holding automatic weapons, were seen patrolling the areas to strictly implement the restrictions.

The main Nallahmar road from Tarabal Nawa Kadal to Khanyar crossing has been closed for any traffic or pedestrian movement.

Security forces have closed the main road in the downtown and SeK with barbed wire at Nawa Kadal, Rajouri Kadal, Kawdara and Khanyar. Similarly, roadblocks were erected by security forces at Nowhatta, Rangar stop, Khawaja Bazar and Gojwara.

Similar restrictions have also been imposed on roads around the Malkha graveyard. Large number of security forces have also been deployed at Rainawari, Nowpora and Bobdamb.

Additional security forces and state police personnel have also been deployed in the civil lines, including Residency Road, Moulana Azad Road, historic Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the city, Budshah Chowk and Jehangir Chowk to prevent any law and order problem.

Similar deployment was made in Kralkhud of the old city.

The Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), comprising Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq and Mohammad Yaseen Malik have called for a strike on Saturday against shifting of detenues from here to other jails in Jammu and outside the state, killing of HC leader Mohammad Yousuf Nadeem by unidentified gunmen in central Kashmir district of Badgam and the recent Supreme Court order, staying action against Army personnel, allegedly involved in the firing incident at Shopian, in which three persons were killed.