Life comes to a halt in Kashmir due to strike against civilian deaths

Srinagar: Life comes to a grinding halt as shops and business establishments, which remain open on Sundays, were closed and traffic was off the roads in Kashmir valley on Sunday due to a strike called by separatists against killing of seven civilians in clashes with security forces in Pulwama.

Curfew-like restrictions have been imposed in the downtown and Shehar-e-Khas (SeK) and parts of civil lines in Srinagar on Sunday as a precautionary measure to prevent protests. Historic Jamia Masjid in downtown Srinagar was closed yet again as a precautionary measure to prevent any protests.

Curfew-like restrictions also remained imposed in Pulwama town and adjoining areas since Saturday as a precautionary measure.

Shops and business establishments were closed and traffic was off the road in downtown, civil lines and uptown Srinagar though few private vehicles, particularly two-wheelers, could be seen plying on some routes.

Business and other activities was also crippled in main business hubs of the city, including historic Lal Chowk, the nerve-centre of summer capital, Budshah Chowk, Regal Chowk, Maisuma, Hari Singh High Street (HSHS), Batmaloo, Moulana Azad Road, Residency Road and Dalgate. Additional security forces, wearing bullet proof jackets and holding weapons and lathis in their hands, were seen patrolling the streets in Srinagar areas to prevent any untoward incident.

All the gates of Jamia Masjid, stronghold of chairman of moderate Hurriyat Conference (HC) Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq, are locked since this morning. A large number of security forces and state police personnel have been deployed in the Jamia market and outside the worship place to prevent people from entering there.

Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), comprising Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq and Mohammad Yaseen Malik, has called for a strike till Monday against Pulwama killings.

Life also came to a grinding halt in central Kashmir districts of Budgam and Ganderbal in support of the strike called by separatists.

Hundreds of security forces and state police personnel were deployed to strictly impose curfew-like restrictions in major Pulwama town and adjoining areas on Sunday. The situation remained tense in south Kashmir, particularly in Pulwama, where seven civilians were killed in clashes, which were triggered after an encounter ensued between militants and security forces that left three ultras dead on Saturday. An Army jawan was also martyred in the encounter.

Life remained crippled in other south Kashmir districts, including Kulgam, Anantnag and Shopian, where business and other activities were paralysed and traffic was off the roads in support of the strike.

A report from Baramulla said life was crippled in this and other north Kashmir towns and tehsil headquarters, where shops were closed and traffic was off the road in support of the strike. Additional security forces have been deployed in entire north Kashmir to prevent any law and order problem. (UNI)