By Sheikh Imran Bashir, Agence India Press,
Srinagar: Official restrictions were lifted on Monday in the Old City areas of Srinagar but a normal life remains on a standstill across Kashmir valley as a general strike is being observed at the call of the Hurriyat Conference (G) to protest the civilian killings.
The Hurriyat group headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani has called for a complete shutdown here Monday against alleged human rights violations and appealed to government employees to carry out peaceful protests.
On the call of APHC (G), scores of government employees staged a protest against human rights violations.
Reports said that employees assembled in the compound of the Old Secretariat here this afternoon and staged a sit-in- protesters were demanding stern action against the force personnel involved in the recent killings across the Valley. At least 15 persons, including a 25-year old woman, have been killed in Police and CRPF action since first week of June.
Pertinently, Hurriyat Conference (G), spearheading the ongoing “Quit Jammu and Kashmir” movement had asked the government employees to stage peaceful protests today.
Shops, educational institutions and business establishments remain closed in Srinagar city and other parts of the Valley. Public transport is off the roads but some private vehicles are seen plying in uptown areas and on the highway.
As per reports about stone-pelting in some areas of the city, including Eidgah, Safa Kadal, Chattabal, Nowhatta, Gojwara, Fateh Kadal and Rambagh.
Meanwhile authorities on Monday lifted curfew from Sopore town and restriction on movement of people across Kashmir Valley.
The situation in Batmaloo in central Srinagar was, however, tense following death of a youth in a road mishap involving a police vehicle in the locality this morning.
Hundreds of people took to the streets in city outskirts on Monday to protest against the death of a civilian who was crushed by a police bus near Batmaloo.
Witnesses told Agence India Press that, police bus hit a private car near Police Control Room injuring four persons critically. The injured were rushed to a hospital where one of the injured Nadeem Ahmad Mir succumbed.
As soon as the body of the deceased was handed over to his family members at Shalteng, people took to the streets and staged demonstrations. However, policemen reached on the spot and used force to quell the demonstrators.
According to police four persons travelling in a car were injured after being hit by a police vehicle. The injured were rushed to hospital, where one of them Nadeem Ahmad Mir of Zainakote area succumbed to injuries.
Within an hour of the mishap, people took to the streets and staged a demonstration. Police and paramilitary forces deployed in the area used batons to disperse them leading to a clash. The police fired teargas shells to disperse the stone-pelting protestors.
The clashes between the two sides were going on till noon, police said.
A senior police officer told Agence India Press that curfew, which was imposed yesterday in Sopore town, along with restrictions on the movement of the public under section 144 CrPC in rest of the Valley, including 12 police station areas of Srinagar, was lifted today.
Meanwhile, the situation in Baramulla, continues to be tense following clashes in the wake of a controversy over a teenager’s death on Saturday.
The search for the body of the teenager, who drowned in river Jhelum on Saturday, was still on, he said.
Police maintained that the youth drowned in the river and denied allegations that he was chased by special operations group personnel and pushed into the river.