Mehbooba faces biggest challenge of her political career

With nineteen deaths in a little over 24 hours the best forecast of events to unfold in Kashmir –and what it could mean to Mehbooba Mufti’s political career –is offered by a Minister’s aerial journey to make it to the emergency meeting of Mehbooba Mufti’s cabinet Sunday afternoon.
In a grim reminder of the volatile and tragic events of 2010, a Minister, who was away from Srinagar, had to requisition a helicopter to reach the Cabinet meeting. Movement of all powerful and mighty people of Kashmir was similarly crippled in 2010 which saw over 110 killing across four long curfewed months.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has called an emergency meeting to discuss the emerging situation as 16 persons were killed till Sunday afternoon in clashes between security forces and local people protesting the killing of top militant commander Burhan Wani. Events of first day and half in the aftermath of Burhan’s killings have followed pattern almost similar to post Tufail Mattoo killing in Srinagar in 2010.
On the day first major incident in Srinagar in June 2010, the then Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was holidaying with family in the picturesque Gulmarg, had to take a similar flight down to Srinagar as traveling on violence hit streets remained unsafe for months together. Over four-month long crisis which saw more than 110 killings, nearly finished the political career of Omar Abdullah and left him as most powerless Chief Minister for rest of his term.
Mehbooba is currently not only at similar crossroads but in a more precarious situation for her party’s ruling alliance with the Bhartiya Janta Party. While in opposition, she was best known for reaching out to the families of militants killed by security forces. This was one of the several ways of how Mehbooba created pockets of sympathy and acceptance for her PDP. Who Mehbooba would describe as misguided youth are terrorists for her alliance partner BJP.
First signs of possible events to deal with her power and authority are not encouraging. Despite being the Home Minister herself she has criticized the Police and security forces for alleged excesses yesterday while dealing with violent mobs. Ever since the killing of Burhan Wani all PDP Ministers and other leaders have gone into a complete silent mode while their colleagues in BJP are elated over the victory of security forces.
As per consolidated information available now, more than 200 persons, including 96 security personnel, were injured in the day long clashes during which the mobs set on fire three police installations, three civil administration offices, the house of a PDP MLA, several vehicles and targeted a BJP office.
Curfew-like restrictions continued in parts of Kashmir Valley as a precautionary measure for the second day today. Normal life across Valley remained paralysed due to a strike called by separatist groups to protest the killings. Separatist leaders, including Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, continue to be under house arrest while Mohammad Yasin Malik is also under preventive detention.
Amarnath Yatra, which was suspended from Jammu yesterday, also remained suspended.
Wani, a Hizbul Mujahideen commander, and two others were killed on Friday when security forces retaliated after being fired upon by the trio from a house in which they were hiding. Mobile internet services were suspended and and a curfew was imposed across the Valley to contain the fallout of Wani's killing.