All roads leading to Eidgah closed to foil “Azadi March” in Srinagar

Srinagar: All roads leading to the Eidgah Martyrs grave yard in the down town, which is under curfew since July 9, have further been closed with barbed wire to foil “Azadi March” called today by separatists. Both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference (HC) and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), spearheading the present agitation,since July 9, a day after Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Burhan Wani and two other militants were killed in an encounter in Anantnag, have extended strike call till September Ist against the civilian killings in security force firing.

Chairman of moderate HC Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq was arrested last evening, while chairman of hardline HC Syed Ali Shah Geelani under house arrest and JKLF chief Mohammad Yaseen Malik in central jail. The separatist organizations have today called for “ Azadi March” to the Eidgah graveyard from different parts of the valley and to offer Friday prayers jointly there. A UNI correspondent who visited downtown and Shehar-e-Khas (SeK) areas saw hundreds of security forces and state police personnel, wearing bullet proof jackets, leg guards and headgears and holding automatic weapons deployed in and around the Eidgah ground.

Though indefinite curfew has continued since July 9, but today additional security forces had been deployed to prevent the assembly of people there, the local residents said. Roads leading to Eidgah, including from Chatabal, Safa Kadal, Nallahmar and other by lanes have been closed with barbed wire and nobody was being allowed to go there. People in areas adjacent to Eidgah were directed to remain indoor. 'We were not even allowed to go to mosques early this morning, by the security forces deployed there,' the residents alleged.

They said, though curfew remained imposed in the SeK and downtown since July 9, but restrictions are being strictly implemented today. Curfew has also been extended to entire Srinagar, where only restrictions on assembly of people were inforce.

However, main road to S K Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) was open, though doctors, paramedical staff and patients were being allowed only after checking their identity cards and hospital prescriptions. According to police, curfew has been re-imposed in entire Srinagar today to prevent any untoward incident. Mirwaiz, who was under house arrest since July 9, was arrested last evening from his Nigeen house. Mr Geelani also remained under house arrest since his return from New Delhi in May while JKLF chairman remained under detention since July 9. (UNI)