Security beefed up at vital installations, sensitive areas

Kashmir remained on edge on Sunday as authorities stepped up security deployment at vital installations and sensitive areas amid heightened militant threat and flare up of hostilities with Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC). After the Jammu and Kashmir administration curtailed the Amarnath Yatra and asked pilgrims and tourists to leave the valley at the earliest on Friday, anxious residents continue to throng markets to stock on essentials and serpentine queues have been visible outside shops and fuel stations.

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan, the mentor of Jammuand Kashmir state teams who was in Srinagar to oversee the trials for the U-16(Vijay Merchant Trophy) and U-19 (Cooch Behar Trophy) squads, has leftSrinagar, along with the young players.

   

“We have for the time being postponed the second phaseof junior team trials…Since there has been a government advisory, I had ameeting with Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association…Accordingly, it wasdecided that boys need to be sent back home,” Pathan told PTI.

 Various educationalinstitutions also directed their students to vacate hostels.

 Additionalparamilitary forces, which arrived here last week, have been deployed acrossthe city and in other vulnerable areas of Kashmir Valley, the officials said.

The strength of the security personnel has been increasedaround vital installations such as the civil secretariat, police headquarters,airport and various central government establishments in the city, they said.

Barricades have been erected on many arterial roads,including the entry and exit points to Srinagar, the summer capital of thestate.

Riot control vehicles have also been kept on standby in someareas where apprehension of law and order disturbances is more, the officialsadded.

In Delhi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting withtop security officials on Sunday and is believed to have discussed theprevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

The hour-long meeting was attended by National Security AdvisorAjit Doval, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and other senior officials.

The meeting came amidst fresh skirmishes between securityforces of India and Pakistan along the border with the Army foiling an attackby BAT on a forward post along the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector,killing five to seven militants.

The Indian Army has asked its Pakistani counterparts toapproach them by raising white flags and take possession of bodies which arelying on the Indian side of the LoC. The BAT generally comprises special forcespersonnel of the Pakistani Army and militants.

A civilian woman was killed in cross-LoC shelling in Gurezsector of Kashmir last week, while ceasefire violations by Pakistan werereported from several other areas of Kashmir close to the LoC.

Jammu and Kashmir Governor S P Malik has dismissedspeculations that the Centre might be planning to do away with Article 35A ofthe Constitution, which gives exclusive rights to the state’s residents ingovernment jobs and land.

Political parties in J&K had expressed apprehensionsabout such action after the Centre deployed additional troops and curtailed theAmarnath Yatra.

The National Conference (NC) held a meeting of its PoliticalAffairs Committee (PAC) where they expressed concern over the “uncertainand uptight” situation in Jammu and Kashmir. A spokesman said the partywould fight any infringement upon the special constitutional position of thestate. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has called an all-party meeting at herresidence on Sunday evening to discuss the situation.

Malik has urged political delegations led by NationalConference leader Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba to tell their supporters tomaintain calm and not to believe “exaggerated rumours” beingcirculated in the Valley.

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