Kashmir observed a complete shutdown on Sunday to mark the 34th death anniversary of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) founder Muhammad MaqboolBhat, who was sent to gallows in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail on this day in 1984.
All the shops and other business establishments remained closed in the city centre, LalChowk. The weekly Sunday market was also closed. The roads wore a deserted look as only a few private vehicles could be seen plying.
Reports from various district headquarters said the complete strike was observed in all districts of Kashmir. The strike call was given by Kashmir’s Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik.
DOWNTOWN CAGED
The government imposed strict curbs in majority of Downtown areas. The areas that were under curbs included Rainawari, Khanyar, Nowhatta, SafaKadal, and MahrajGunj, while as partial restrictions were put in place in Kralkhud and Maisuma areas.
There was huge deployment of police and paramilitary forces across Downtown while all the major roads were blocked with the rolls of concertina wires.
On Friday, similar curbs remained in force in these areas in wake of the shutdown called by JRL to observe the death anniversary of Muhammad Afzal Guru, who was hanged secretly at Tihar Jail in New Delhi in 2013.
JRL MARCH TO UN FOILED
A spokesman of Joint Resistance Leadership in a statement here said that many JRL leaders and activists were detained by the police when they tried to march towards UN office at Sonawar.
The leaders were supposed to submit a memorandum to the UN office to seek back the mortal remains of Muhammad MaqboolBhat and Muhammad Afzal Guru.
As the protestors started marching from Maisuma area towards UN office Sonawar, police swung into action and detained dozens of leaders and activists.
He said many leaders of Hurriyat Conference (G), Hurriyat Conference (M) and JKLF were arrested by Police and they are lodged in various police stations.
Evening clashes in Downtown:
A witness said that evening clashes between youth and forces broke at SafaKadal, Malik Sahab and BrariPora area of Nawakadal in downtown Srinagar on late Sunday evening. “The forces fired tear smoke shells to disperse the protestors, who retaliated with stones trigger clashes,” the witness said.
BADARWAH SHUTS TO EXPRESS SOLIDARITY WITH KASHMIR
On the call of Anjuman-e-Islamia, Bhadarwahtown observed a complete shutdown to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir . A witness said that shops and other business establishments remained closed and traffic also remained thin off the roads.
President Anjuman-e-islamiaBhadarwah, Pervaiz Ahmed Sheikh said: “We observed shutdown today to support the protest calendar of Hurriyat conference especially in view of death anniversary of Afzal Guru and MaqboolBhat. We have always stood for Kashmir cause and our Kashmri brothers.”
An official said elaborate security arrangements were put in place in Bhadarwah town and its peripheral areas but no untoward incident was reported from anywhere. “The force personnel were asked to exercise maximum restraint,” he said.
HUNDREDS THRONG TREHGAM
Amid restrictions hundreds of people thronged the ancestral house of the JKLF founder Muhammad MaqboolBhat at Trehgam here to mark his 34rth death anniversary.
Youth sat on a sit-in outside late Bhat’s residence and demanded his mortal remains should be returned.
Earlier, on Saturday evening, a candle light procession was taken out in Trehgam which was led by Bhat’s brother Zahoor Ahmed Bhat amid pro-freedom and pro-Islam slogan.
All the shops and business establishments remained closed in Kupwara, Handwara, Sopore and Baramulla towns.
Authorities had deployed force personnel in strength to foil any big gathering or a protest march in Kupwara district. Bhat was hanged and buried in Delhi’s Tihar jail on February 11,1984.
YOUTH INJURED IN ARMY FIRING IN SHOPIAN
A youth was injured after army opened fire on protesters at Barthipora hamlet of Shopian district on Sunday, police said.
A senior police official said that army’s Rashtriya Rifles opened fire on protesters at Barthipora village after the army vehicles came under stone-pelting.
A group of youth hurled the army vehicles with stones and the army in response opened fire, resulting in injuries to one youth.
Locals alleged that on Sunday evening few army personnel appeared in Phirans (long cloaks) and used slingshots to shoot stones on the locals. “People walking on the roads pelted them back with stones. However, an army personnel fired upon the locals, resulting in bullet injury in leg to one youth,” they said..
The injured was identified as Adil Ahmad Wagay s/o Abdul KhaliqWagay of Narpora village of Shopian
Adil was referred to district hospital Pulwama where his condition was said to be stable.
A doctor at the district hospital Pulwama said that a youth with bullet injuries in right leg “is undergoing treatment at the facility and is stable.”
(With inputs from GhulamMuhammad ,Irfan Amin Malik)