By Sheikh Imran Bashir, Agence India Press
Srinagar: Curfew was today lifted in the Kashmir valley. The decision to end the curfew, clamped on July 6 after incidents of violence, came after the situation remained generally peaceful.
However, as a preventive step, prohibitory orders were imposed in Baramulla, Anantnag and Pulwama districts besides some parts of Srinagar.
The authorities relaxed curfew in Sopore of North Kashmir from 7 am to 11 am and later extended by 5 pm, the relaxation period indefinitely as there was no untoward incident. Shops opened there despite a strike call given by Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
The situation was generally peaceful barring a few incidents where small groups of people came out and shouted slogans and threw stones at the security forces, police said.
However, downtown areas of Srinagar like Maisuma, Batamaloo and Nowhatta too are under such restrictions.
Curfew continued in Masuma area of Srinagar on Saturday. [AIP photo]
A top police officer told Agence India Press that, restrictions in Maisuma, Kralkhud, North and south Srinagar including Pulwama and Kakporasection with section 144 CrPC are still continues.
Authorities moved heavy police and paramilitary reinforcements into the downtown to enforce the restrictions early morning.
A top officer in police told Agence India Press that, there isn’t any curfew in a strict sense; we just have imposed Section 144 of CrPc to maintain law and order. The rest of the valley is peaceful and we expect it to remain placid throughout the day.
Indefinite curfew was imposed in the Kashmir Valley following tense situation, in which incidents of violence and protests were reported.
Earlier, on Tuesday, the Army was deployed in Srinagar following violent protests, which left four persons dead and over 70 injured.
Seventeen columns of army soldiers conducted flag marches on Wednesday, following widespread violence in the Batmaloo and Maisuma localities.
The decision to deploy the Army was taken after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah made a formal request to the Central Government for its help in enforcing curfew and maintaining law and order in Srinagar.
The situation in the valley has been tense over the past few weeks due to repeated clashes between protestors and security forces.
Newspapers in Kashmir Valley on Sunday decided to resume publication following an assurance from the state government at a meeting with media associations that the curfew passes would not just be issued to journalists but would also be entertained by the security agencies.
“All issues raised by the journalists were resolved amicably at a meeting between the Principal Secretary to Chief Minister and Secretary Information Khurshid Ahmed Ganai and the representatives of media associations,” an official spokesman said.
He said the representatives of media associations assured that publication of newspapers shall be resumed.
A spokesman of the media associations said that they had decided to resume publication of the newspapers following assurance by the authorities that curfew passes would not only be issued to newspaper employees but would be entertained by the security agencies.
The Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Farooq Abdullah, met the Governor, N. N. Vohra, at Raj Bhavan here this evening.
The Governor and Abdullah discussed wide-ranging issues during their hour-long meeting, including the recent and ongoing developments in the State.
The Kashmir University issued a statement in which they said, all University examinations scheduled to be held on July 20th, has postponed. While as the whole examination of B. Ed scheduled to commence from July 15th, is postponed. Fresh date sheet and revised centre notice shall be issued separately, said in statement.
Meanwhile, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti remained defiant after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh requested the PDP leader to attend the all-party meeting convened by Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The meeting will be conducted on Monday, Jul 12.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has spoken to the Mehbooba Mufti urging her to attend the all-party meeting called by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday.
Mehbooba Mufti has declined the PM’s offer to attend the all-party meet. “Very kind of PM to call me. I told the PM I won’t be able to attend all-party meet,” said Mehbooba.
Mehbooba said that she spoke to Home Minister P Chidambaram on Saturday.
Mehbooba demanded that the Prime Minister should intervene. “We appeal to the PM to end crackdown on civilians,” the PDP leader added. She said that Omar Abdullah is in damage-control mode.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday announced she will not attend the all-party meeting called by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Srinagar to discuss the political crisis in Jammu and Kashmir and has urged the Prime Minister to “excuse” her.
“I am very thankful to the PM for calling me yesterday. I have told PM that please excuses us from this meeting till something worthwhile is done from the highest level. I told this to Home Minister also who has also called yesterday,” said Mehbooba.
“It was very kind of the Prime Minister to call me. I have deep regard for the PM. He advised us to attend the meeting. But it was painful to convey my inability to attend the meeting,” she said at a press conference in Srinagar.
Mehbooba claimed the Jammu and Kashmir government had lost credibility among the state’s people and wanted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to step in and resolve the crisis.
The situation in the Kashmir Valley was “so bad that nothing at the level of the state government, that has been discredited, will help unless there is a bigger initiative which will be taken seriously by the people who are caught in a prison like situation”.
“I have requested the prime minister to intervene and put forward four points,” she said, adding media curbs in the Valley should be lifted, the Army should be recalled, and the crackdown launched by the state government should be put to an end.
PDP President Mahbooba Mufti adressing a press conference in Srinagar on Saturday. [AIP photo]
She alleged that the Omar Abdullah government was trying to hide its “failures” by convening such a meeting after taking all the decisions that “he shouldn’t have taken”.
The PDP chief said the meeting was a “damage control exercise” aimed to hoodwink the international community.
Abdullah has called an all-party meeting on Monday to discuss the volatile situation in the state where the Army was called in to stage marches in curfew-bound towns to restore law and order following violent protests over civilian killings in the valley.
Abdullah has said the meeting was called to “seek a common approach” to the problem in the state.
The National Conference-Congress legislature party which met here today under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed deep sorrow over the unfortunate happenings in the recent past in the state and expressed sincere anguish and grief over the loss of life and property in these incidents.
During today’s meeting of NC-Congress legislators, a resolution was passed asking all “right thinking people” irrespective of their political affiliations and ideologies, to come forward and extend their positive support in restoring peace and tranquility in the state.
On his part, Omar appealed to the legislators for initiating a mass contact programme with people of their respective constituencies. He said the current protests were not a reflection on the governance of the state administration.