Curfew back in Valley, Hurriyat leaders detained

Ehsan Fazili

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 27

A day after protest demonstrations rocked the old city, curfew was clamped in downtown Srinagar this morning following fresh incidents of stone-throwing while restrictions continued to remain in force in major towns of south Kashmir today.

These measures were taken to foil the separatists’ bid for a march to Kulgam in south Kashmir on the lines of a similar march to Anantnag on Monday even as the police detained Hurriyat leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq while attempting to march towards Kulgam.

Owing to incessant rain which lashed the region throughout the  day, most people in Srinagar remained indoors, giving security forces a reason to heave a sigh of relief in the summer capital.

Curfew restrictions continued in Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Awantipora towns and parts of Shopian in south Kashmir. Strict restrictions were enforced in Kulgam and adjoining townships of Khudwani and Qoimoh to foil the separatists’ rally to pay tributes to those killed in the district since trouble started.

The police had to lob teargas shells at some places to quell demonstrators, but there were no reports of injuries to anyone in these incidents. Stray incidents of stone-throwing were reported from the Sangam area in Anantnag district and a few places in Pulwama.

In view of the improving situation, curfew was relaxed in Anantnag on Tuesday evening, which passed off peacefully. However, as part of fresh measures to prevent the march to Kulgam, curfew was enforced today and the situation was reported to be peaceful and under control.

To prevent the separatists’ march to Kulgam today to pay tributes to those killed during the present unrest, the police detained Geelani and Mirwaiz as they attempted to travel to Kulgam in the afternoon. 

Geelani was detained by the police as he came out of his Hyderpora residence around 12:45 pm and taken to the Humahama police station on the airport road. Mirwaiz was detained as he came out of his Nigeen residence around 2 pm to proceed to Kulgam.

The two separatist leaders and JKLF chairman Yasin Malik had been jointly calling for general strikes and other protest programmes against the series of killings during the past 19 days.