Peaceful curfew observed for the second day in Kashmir

Indefinite curfew which was imposed in the Kashmir valley on Sunday remained for the second day today to prevent planned march called by Hurriyat Conference and separatists to Lal Chowk in Srinagar.

The valley is laying in peace; no curfew violation, and no violent incident has been reported so far, except some slogans raised by people accumulated at Baramula on Sunday night.

All entry points to Srinagar have been sealed and are being manned by the police and the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

Owing to non-availability of facilities such as required number of curfew passes, no local newspaper could bring out its issue Monday. A private television channel TV Sen was temporarily banned by the authority on charges of poisoning the atmosphere.

Meanwhile Hurriyat Conference has criticised state government for its decision of clamping indefinite curfew to prevent separatists from marching, saying not listening to people is the gross violation of democratic right.

The state administration in its preventive attempt to ward off any kind of flare-up had kept all senior separatist leaders—except hardliner leader of the Hurriyat Conference, who is admitted in a local hospital—under house arrest.

JKLF leader Yasin Malik, who had openly threatened to defy the curfew, was also taken into preventive custody.

Chairman of moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Jamiat-e-Ahl-e-Hadith chief Maulana Showkat were also placed under house arrest along with senior separatist leaders Abdul Gani Bhat, Bilal Lone and Sajjad Lone.

Police are searching Nayeem Khan, a separatist leader, while a number of separatist leaders including Shabir Shah, Masarat Alam and Asiya Andrabi have been arrested earlier.

A senior official said that no relaxation in the curfew restrictions would be allowed today. The situation is being continuously reviewed.

Earlier on Sept 25, separatists had called similar march to Lal Chowk, but then too curfew had been imposed and rally was restricted by the authority.

Through this protest rally, separatist organisations wanted to put pressure on government to accept their demands such as cross-border trade, release of all prisoners and to repeal Special Armed Forces Act.