Curfew reimposed in J&K after fresh clashes

Curfew was reimposed on parts of Srinagar and north-western town of Baramulla and Kaloosa area of neighbouring Ba-ndipore district on Thurs-day following renewed violence amid pro-aazadi demonstrations.

Curfew as part of a 53- day-long clampdown to contain widespread prote-sts and violence in the Valley in the aftermath of the killing of Hizb-ul-Mujahedin’s Internet-savvy poster boy Burhan Wani had been lifted only a day ago.

Meanwhile, separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani has said that he is not averse to holding talks as a means to end conflicts but said that when it comes to Kashmir as ma-ny as 150 such attempts were made during past seven decades and all these failed “because of New Delhi’s deceptive nature and arrogant attitude.” He said in a statement here, “In principle, we were never against the talks as we believe that even after deadly conflicts and destructive wars things are settled through the dialogue only. But given the long and deceptive nature of the talks on Kashmir we have witnessed this exercise going on more than 150 times without yielding any results till date.” He added that the separatists would welcome “any and every move” at peace-breaking provided India accepted the disputed nature of Jammu and Kashmir and start demilitarisation.

The officials said that curfew was imposed again on Thursday in areas falling under the jurisdiction of Nowhatta and M.R.Gunj police stations in Srinagar city along with Baramulla. Residents of Kaloosa in Bandipore said on the phone that mike-fitted police vehicles went round there in the morning to announce curfew has been clamped on the area which witnessed protests and stone-pelting incidents during past few days.

Several areas in Baramulla districts and also central Srinagar had erupted again on Wednesday following the killing of a teenager Danish Manzoor Lone in security forces’ firing in Ladoora-Nadihal outside the town of Sopore. Five civilians were injured in the shooting, three of them seriously. 71 civilians have been killed and thousands others injured in security forces firings and other actions whereas two policemen were also killed and 4,000-4,500 injured in mob violence and stone-pelting.

Fresh clashes, protests and ‘aazadi’ rallies were reported from different parts of the Valley including Mazahama, Kanihama and Ompora in Budgam district, Badasgam in Anantnag, Trenz in Shopian, Kehnusa, Gulshan Chowk and Kaloosa in Bandipore, Hajan and Sopore in Baramulla and five other places. More than forty people were injured as security forces fired teargas canisters and pellet guns to quell the protests and stone-throwing mobs. A few J&K policemen and CRPF jawans also sustained injuries, officials said.

A youth Danish Sultan Haroon is feared dead due to drowning in Parimpora area of Srinagar. The locals alleged that the CRPF during a street protest chased a group of youth and four among them jumped into River Jhelum to escape arrest. Three of them swam to the northern bank of the river but Danish may have drowned. Police confirmed the incident but said the teenager is “missing” after he jumped into the river.

A statement issued by police here said that barring some stray stone pelting incidents, the overall situation remained under control throughout the Valley ‘till filing of this report’. It added, “Three stone pelting incidents were reported from Srinagar and Kupwara, and one each from Anantnag, Shopian, Ganderbal, Budgam and Sopore.” The police alleged that “miscreants” came on the roads and “attempted to disturb the normal traffic and movement of people by pelting stones on vehicles and on police and security force deployments”.

Meanwhile, opposition National Conference (NC) leaders, lawmakers and activists staged a dharna outside the Civil Secretariat here to protest against the continued use of pellet guns and killings in security forces firings in Kashmir. Led by former minister and NC general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar, the protesters were carrying placards demanding an end to use of force against “innocent civilians”. They demanded an end also to what they alleged is “mass harassment of civilians and destruction of their properties” and urged the Centre to talk to separatists as well as militants to seek a peaceful lasting settlement of the Kashmir issue.’

Mr. Sagar while speaking to reporters said that the situation in the Valley has been aggravated at every step along the way by “irresponsible and insensitive” statements of the Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti. He alleged, “She has remained ineffective and clueless throughout this period”. He and other NC leaders said their party stands in complete solidarity with the people and continues to seek a just and fair resolution of the political issue.

Separately, independent lawmaker and regional Awami Itehad Party leader Sheikh Abdur Rashid has asked the leaders of national political parties of the country that since there will be no takers of autonomy or any other formula whatsoever within the ambits of Indian Constitution they should before coming to Kashmir this Sunday “sit together and clear their confusions by reaching a consensus how to do justice with people of J&K.” In a statement, he also said, “The Kashmiris are neither seeking the solution on communal lines nor can be their rights made hostage to the compulsions and issues of Indian Muslims”.