Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Sept 15: Curfew and restrictions continued in parts of South Kashmir while general strike paralysed life in Kashmir valley and Director General of Police Ashok Prasad along with top police and para-military Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officers visited Shopian to assess the situation.
Curfew, imposed in Shopian and Gagran towns in Shopian district, Kulgam and Kohimoh in Kulgam district and Pulwama and Kakpora in Pulwama district since early September 12, continued today also without any relaxation.
Restrictions were also being implemented strictly in Radwani and Khudwani of Kulgam district. Additional security force and police personnel remained deployed in the areas where there was no curfew in South Kashmir areas to maintain law and order.
Residents of curfew-bound areas in South Kashmir alleged that they are facing acute shortage of essentials. However, the district administration has asked people to contact police in case of any emergency.
The curfew was imposed in parts of South Kashmir after widespread protests against the killing of four persons in Gagran Shopian in CRPF firing and this was followed by killing of a school bus driver at Gagran during protests early this week.
The DGP along with IGP, Kashmir Abdul Gani Mir, IGP CRPF and DIG South Kashmir, Vijay Kumar visited Shopian and held closed door meetings with the CRPF personnel of Gagran camp.
The DGP and other top police officers also visited the spots where the firing incidents took place and also took stock of the situation in the district.
The DGP enquired about the firing incidents from the CRPF personnel who were on duty on that days and also received a brief from Deputy Commissioner, Bashir Ahmad Bhat and SSP Shopian, Mumtaz Ahmad. The DGP also discussed the relocation of the Gagran CRPF camp.
Police is formally taking the issue of a killing fourth person in Gagran CRPF firing with Bihar Government. It may be mentioned here that an unknown person was among the four people killed in CRPF firing in Gagran last week and police claimed that he was possibly a Lashkar-e-Toiba militant while locals said he was a worker from Bihar.
Police is also looking into the militancy angle of the killed persons. Police had summoned all the non-local labourers to identify the person but none of them has identified him.
Police have also sent the mobile and SIM card of the unidentified man killed in Gagran to Forensic Laboratory Chandigarh.
And in response to a two day strike call given by chairman of hardline Hurriyat Conference, Syeed Ali Shah Geelani, against the killings in Shopian, life in Kashmir valley remained paralysed for second consecutive day today.
Shops and business establishments were mostly closed while traffic was off the roads. However, some shops in peripheries of Srinagar city and other places remained open while private vehicles were seen plying.
In the meantime, chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Omar Farooq condemned the continuous curfew and restrictions imposed on the movement of people in South Kashmir.
Mirwaiz in a statement said that the people in South Kashmir have been caged and are being denied access to basic amenities like milk, vegetables and medicines.
Mirwaiz condemned the use of pepper gas and destruction of property in Saraf Kadal, Ali Kadal, Mahraj Gunj, Jama Lata and Nowhatta by forces.
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