Srinagar, July 17: The semblance of normalcy returned across Srinagar and other districts of Kashmir valley on Saturday after days of strikes, shutdown and curfew. However, in the afternoon protests broke out in several places with people staging protest demonstrations.
 The Syed Ali Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference had asked people to resume normal activities till 2 PM today. Facing shortage of essentials, people came out of their homes and thronged marketplaces. The shops, banks and business establishments opened this morning even as traffic also resumed on all routes.
 The grocery shops and provision store witnessed huge rush of people. Long queues of people were seen outside the ATM kiosks, especially in the commercial hub, Lal Chowk. The city centre witnessed massive traffic snarls during the day.
 The educational institutions also opened today. Government on Friday had said that all the schools and colleges shall remain open and there would be no impact of the shutdown on educational institutions.
 The lawyers under the banner of Kashmir High Court Bar Association staged protests outside the sadder court complex here against the arrest of Bar president, Mian Abdul Qayoom under Public Safety Act.
 The lawyers burnt their coats in protest against the Bar president’s detention.
 In the afternoon, motley groups of youth poured out onto streets in various uptown and downtown localities of the Srinagar and staged demonstrations.
 Protests erupted in Maisuma, Gaw Kadal, Khanyar, Nowhatta, Kawdara, Rajouri Kadal and other localities. The shopkeepers soon downed their shutters and the traffic movement thinned. They also clashed with police and CRPF in which at least half a dozen of them were injured.
 Most of the shops along the Residency Road in city centre either closed their shops or kept the shutter half down. The town was completely deserted by the late afternoon.
 In uptown Natipora, CRPF confronted shopkeepers who closed their shops in afternoon. People later came out on roads in the support of traders and staged demonstrations.
 Locals alleged that CRPF men in the evening entered into residential colonies and hurled stones on houses smashing the window panes.

TARIQ RASOOL ADDS FROM NORTH KASHMIR:
 Following Hurriyat (G) programme, hundreds of people staged protests and clashed with police and CRPF personnel here in various localities in the afternoon, even as authorities imposed strict restrictions in district headquarter after clashes.
 Police fired tear gas shells and used batons to disperse protesters in Ashtangoo village where people staged protest after police tried to arrest the chief cleric of Jamia Masjid, Muhammad Dilawar Sheikh.
 Several civilians and police personnel have been reportedly injured during the clashes in the various localities of Bandipora. The afternoon protests were reported form other areas of the district including Saderkooot, Hajin, Sumbal, Naidkhai.
 Taking opportunity of half day relaxation in shutdown, thousands of people today thronged the markets and banks. However, the petrol pumps were closed.
 Protests also erupted in Kakpora, Kupwara in north Kashmir. Alleging highhandedness by SOG of police and CRPF, locals, shouting anti-India and pro-freedom slogans blocked Chowkibal-Kupwara road and staged sit-in demonstration for several hours.

AYUB JAVAID ADDS FROM SOUTH KASHMIR:
 All the business establishments, government and private educational institutes abruptly got closed after 2 pm, traffic went off the roads and huge contingents of CRPF and police were deployed on roads.
 Normal life also resumed for few hours at Pulwama, Pampore, Shopian, Tral, Kakapora, Khrew, Awantipora, Tral, Rajpora, Keller, Zainapora and other important areas of the twin districts of Pulwama and Shopian today.
 In Pulwama students of Degree College, higher secondary school and other government and private educational institutions took out a procession and marched on various roads. They were chanting pro freedom slogans. Panic gripped in the town soon after the students entered into bus stand. Police chased the students after which incidents of stone pelting took place at Rajpora Chowk, Main Bazar and Murran Chowk. A CRPF vehicle also came under stone pelting at Murran Chowk.
 Soon after the incidents shopkeepers pulled down their shutters and transport went off the roads. Shopian town also wore a deserted look after incidents of stone pelting took place near Gol Chakri.
 At Pampore normal life was again paralysed after an incident of stone pelting took place near Namblabal Chowk in the afternoon.
 In Islamabad town, several people were injured in the clashes that broke out between the protesters and the troopers on Saturday afternoon.
 Early in the morning normal life resumed in the town as shops, educational institutes, private and public offices remained opened and the traffic also plied on the roads. Heavy rush of customers was witnessed in almost all the banks with people withdrawing cash. The customers were also seen waiting in long queues in the BSNL telephone exchanges and mobile service counters However, as soon as the clocked ticked 2:00 PM, the shopkeepers downed their shutters, the public transport came to abrupt halt and people started moving towards their homes. However, in the old town areas of Mattan Chowk, Dangerpora, Malakhnag, Cheeni Chowk, Reeshi Bazar and Kadipora youth assembled in groups pelting stones on the police and paramilitary CRPF men deployed there. The police men chased them by resorting to baton charge and firing tear gas canisters injuring several people. Following the clashes strict restrictions were enforced in these areas and the movement of people was curtailed.
 “The paramilitary CRPF men posted at Mattan Chowk, Dangerpora and Kadipora went berserk and thrashed all the pedestrians who were heading towards their homes injuring many,” said the residents.
 They alleged that in Kadipora and Mattan Chowk the CRPF men smashed the window panes of several houses and later barged inside beating the inmates including women and children. Later in the evening when the restrictions were eased people in Kadipora and Mattan Chowk came out on streets and protested against the CRPF action.
 Meanwhile shutdown after 2:00 PM was also observed in the neighboring areas of Bijbehara and Sangam.
 In Kulgam town sporadic clashes between the protesters and the police were witnessed late in the evening amid a shutdown.
(WITH INPUTS FROM MU'AZZAM MUHAMMAD)

Lastupdate on : Sat, 17 Jul 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 17 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 18 Jul 2010 00:00:00 IST