Srinagar, Sept 5: Ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr and Shab-e-Qadar, markets across the Valley Sunday witnessed a huge rush of people as the Hurriyat Conference (G) had suspended the general strike for the day. Pro-freedom protests, however, broke out at several places in the evening.
 People thronged the markets from early morning and were seen buying essentials for the festival, which falls on September 10 or 11. The commercial hub of the city, Lal Chowk, and its peripheries were flooded by people. The areas witnessed massive traffic snarls throughout the day.
 People were seen lined up outside the grocery stores, fuel stations and ATMs.
 A J&K Bank official said Rs 19 crores were withdrawn from its ATMs across the Valley. “The central Kashmir districts of Srinagar and Budgam alone saw the withdrawal of Rs 12 crores,” he said.
 The sweets and bakery shops too saw heavy rush of shoppers.
 Reports of a normal day were received from other towns and district headquarters of the Valley.
 In the evening protests erupted near Bazaar Masjid, Batamaloo. Locals said the Imaam of the Masjid, S M Yaseen was injured as paramilitary CRPF forces from a nearby picket were hurling stones on residential houses. People immediately took to streets raising pro-freedom and anti-India slogans.
 “The CRPF men have let loose terror in the locality. They provoke us and pelt stones on residential houses. Today they attacked and beat up the Imaan Sahib,” the locals said. “We won’t tolerate this.” The protests resulted in the delay in Taraveeh prayers in Masjids in the area.
 Reports said protests broke out in Batapora near Kunzar. People raised pro-freedom slogans and blocked the Srinagar-Gulmarg road for over two hours. They were demanding release of a youth arrested by police during the protests a few days back.
 Protests also broke out in Awlara village of the township where locals demanded release of the arrested youth.
 Late in the evening, witnesses said, a group of youth protesting at Khrew in city outskirts pelted stones on a fleet of cars carrying police and civil administration officials, who were on way to an Army camp to attend an Ifaar party.
 “People pelted stones at the police vehicles. They yelled and booed them,” witnesses said.
 Policemen fired several rounds in the air to disperse them.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 5 Sep 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 5 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 6 Sep 2010 00:00:00 IST