Arrest spree, NIA raids: Kashmir, Banihal shut for 2nd day

A complete shutdown was observed across Kashmir and in Banihal town of Jammu region for the second consecutive day on Thursday against the National Investigation Agency (NIA) raids on the residences of top separatist leaders including Muhammad Yasin Malik and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and the “attempts to tinker with” Article 35A.

The call for shutdown for Wednesday and Thursday was givenby the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) comprising Syed Ali Geelani, MirwaizUmar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik.

   

A bunch of petitions have been filed before the SupremeCourt seeking roll back of Article 35A, the hereditary state subject law thatguarantees special citizenship rights to the people of Jammu and Kashmir bybarring outsiders from buying any property in the state.

The shutdown call evoked a complete response as all businessestablishments and private offices remain closed for the second day.

In the commercial hub, Lal Chowk in Srinagar, the marketswore a deserted look while thin traffic movement was noticed on roads.

Reports of complete shutdown also came from southerndistricts of Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag and also from the northerndistricts of Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora. In downtown, Srinagar, a witnesssaid, heavy deployment of forces was made to prevent protest against the NIAraids and arrest of scores of Jamaat activists.

On Tuesday, the NIA sleuths carried out raids at theresidences of seven separatist leaders including the Hurriyat Conference (M)chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (at Nigeen), JKLF chief Malik (at Maisuma),Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai (at Hyderpora), Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani’sson Naseem Geelani, Masrat Alam Bhat, Shabir Ahmed Shah and Zafar Akbar Bhat.The NIA teams also conducted raids in southern Kashmir, on the house of SajadAhmed Bhat at Marhama, Bijbehera, Anantnag district. Bhat, according to theNIA, was the owner of the vehicle used in Lethpora, Pulwama attack carried onFebruary 14 that saw death of 40 CRPF men and injuries to dozens of others. Bhathas joined the Jaish-e-Muhammad outfit since. The NIA in its statement claimedto have seized “incriminating material” during the raids.

Besides NIA raids, police had detained scores ofJamaat-e-Islami leaders and activists across Kashmir last Friday in Kashmir,including its chief Hameed Fayaz.

The police also detained Jamiat-e-Ahlihadees vice-chairmanMushtaq Ahmed Veeri and other activists of the organisation. The JKLF chiefMuhammad Yasin Malik was also detained on Friday and he continues to remainlodged in police station Kothibagh.

Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, whowas barred from addressing media at his Nigeen residence on Wednesday, wasplaced under house arrest, a source in the Hurriyat said.

Meanwhile, a complete shutdown is also being observed inBanihal and Khari tehsils of Ramban district for the second consecutive day onthe JRL call.  A witness said that allshops, commercial establishments and private institutions remained closed forthe day while traffic also remained off the roads.

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