Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, July 13: Normal life remained disrupted today in Kashmir valley in response to the strike called by separatist groups in memory of the 22 persons killed during protests in 1931 while authorities imposed curfew like restrictions in parts of Srinagar to foil any protest march by separatists.
Shops and business establishments in most parts of the Valley were shut and public transport was off the roads. However, private cars, taxis and auto-rickshaws were plying in civil lines of the city and across major towns of the Valley.
The separatists had called for a general strike and had planned a march to Naqashband Sahib Shrine, where these 22 people are buried.
Authorities imposed restrictions on the movement of public and transport in the areas falling under the jurisdiction of five police stations in old city Srinagar to foil the separatist rallies.
A police spokesman said restrictions were imposed in the jurisdiction of Police Stations of Rainawari, Khanyar, Nowhatta, Safakadal and Maharaj Gunj for maintaining law and order in the city.
Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was heavily deployed in old city and police had erected steel barricades and closed the main roads with concertina wire.
In Khanyar area of old Srinagar police and CRPF laid razor wires and erected barricades at road junctions since last evening to stop the movement of people. Besides the fortification of the area around the graveyard, armored vehicles of police and CRPF were also deployed.
Chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conferences Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and other senior pro-freedom leaders Muhammad Yasin Malik, Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) Chairman Shabir Ahmad Shah, Bilal Gani Lone and Shahid-ul-Islam were put under house arrest. Besides it, police arrested several leaders including chairman Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Muhammad Yasin Malik and National Front (NF) Chairman Nayeem Ahmad Khan.
Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah today visited Naqashband Sahib here to pay tributes to the Martrys of July 13. He laid flower wreaths over the graves and offered Fateh.
Omar said that the sacrifice of Martyrs to free the society from autocracy and lay edifice for democracy and human dignity is one of the riches chapters of the history of Jammu and Kashmir.
“The best way to pay homage to the Martyrs is to help create equitable and palatable environment for everyone to grow and develop in a democratic atmosphere”, he added.
Speaker, Legislative Assembly, Mubarak Gul, Minister for Finance, Abdul Rahim Rather, Minister for Rural Development, Ali Mohammad Sagar and Minister for CAPD, Choudhry. Mohammad Ramzan and Minister for Law and Justice, Mir Saifullah were accompanying the Chief Minister.
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