By Rahi Firdous,Agence India Press
Srinagar: Curfew was on Thursday lifted from Baramulla and Sopore towns but restrictions continued on the movement of people in most parts of the Kashmir Valley.
Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla, Bashir Ahmad Bhat held a meeting with local representatives and discussed various measures to restore law and order last evening.
During the meeting locals had demanded the release of youth, who were detained during the recent protests in the two towns, official sources said.
Bhat assured them that the issue will be seriously considered on a case-to-case basis after proper investigation.
Baramulla and Sopore towns were brought under curfew yesterday after protests over the killing of a youth, Fayaz Ahmad Khanday, in police firing on Monday.
A senior Police officer told Agence India Press that, curfew has been lifted from the two towns, restrictions continued in many places on the movement of people as a precautionary measure.
Police and paramilitary forces were deployed in strength in Baramulla and Sopore this morning to strictly enforce prohibitory orders.
Restrictions on the movement of the people also continued in most parts of old city especially in areas falling under police stations of Nowhatta, Khanyar, Rainawari, Maharajgunj, Safakadal, Zadibal and Lal Bazar.
Prohibitory orders are also in force in Batmaloo, Maisuma and Parimpora in uptown Srinagar, police said.
Elsewhere life continued to remain paralyzed by a complete shutdown.
Anticipating sit-ins and the protests on the call of Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani as part of “Quit Jammu and Kashmir campaign”, curfew-like restrictions were imposed in downtown area of the city by deploying hundreds of additional cops and paramilitary CRPF troopers this morning.
Educational institutions, banks, post offices, shops and business establishments remained closed in the areas under restrictions in Srinagar city. Public transport went off the roads.
Meanwhile, J&K government must immediately end the preventive detention of the leaders of the J&K High Court Bar Association, Amnesty International said today. It also said it has taken note of the arrest of prominent political leaders of the Hurriyat Conference.
In a statement, Amnesty said that it has taken note of the fact that the State administration has placed a large number of people in preventive detention instead of charging and trying them – including those reportedly suspected of throwing stones at the police and others suspected of inciting violence by posting inflammatory material online.
Mian Abdul Qayoom, the President of the Bar Association and Ghulam Nabi Shaheen, its General Secretary, have been arbitrarily detained under the J&K Public Safety Act (PSA) since 7 July and 18 July 2010 respectively, the statement reads.
“The detention of the Bar Association leaders appears to be an attempt to stifle legitimate and peaceful protest, as part of the ongoing crackdown by the authorities in parts of Kashmir,” said Sam Zarifi, Asia-Pacific Director at Amnesty International .
“The arbitrary use of the PSA to detain government critics is yet another demonstration of why this law must be repealed,” Zarifi said.
Amnesty International has previously demanded that the Indian authorities avoid excessive use of force and investigate all the deaths due to the shootings.