Curfew in valley; separatists detained

Monday, August 25, 2008 at 4:08 am

Indefinite curfew was today (August 24), clamped in the entire Kashmir Valley and several separatist leaders put under house arrest ahead of a proposed rally on Monday (August 25) to protest against the “failure” of the Centre to resolve the Kashmir issue.

Around 20 people, including five police personnel, were injured when security forces lobbed teargas shells to disperse a stone-pelting crowd of protesters in Beerwah in Budgam district, official sources said.

Police also fired in the air as protesters, defying curfew, threw stones at security forces personnel in Handwara in Kupwara district, they said. No one was hurt in the incident.

One sub-inspector of police was injured in Zampakadal in downtown Srinagar during stone pelting by protesters.

Incidents of stone-throwing were also reported from Soura, Nawakadal, Jamalatta, Borhikadal and Kumarwari in Srinagar city, they said.

As indefinite curfew was imposed in the entire Kashmir region this morning, police cracked down on separatists agitating in the valley and put under house arrest leaders including Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mohammad Yasin Malik.

The move comes ahead of a rally called by separatists at Srinagar’s Lal Chowk on Monday. A government spokesperson told that the curfew had been imposed in Srinagar and other major towns of the Kashmir Valley as a precautionary measure.

The state government had received information that some people were planning to target separatist leaders, including the Mirwaiz, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Yaseen Malik during their march to Lal Chowk tomorrow.

“There are inputs that they (separatist leaders) could be targeted. So as a precautionary measure, curfew has been imposed and people have been asked to maintain peace and calm,” the spokesperson said.

Police and central para-military forces also picked up nearly two dozen people including Ayaz Akbar, spokesperson of hardline Hurriyat faction led by Geelani.

Other leaders detained were Mehrajubddin Kalwal, Syed Salim Geelani and Hakeem Abdul Rashid, official sources said.

However, separatist leader Shabir Ahmed Shah, Nayeem Ahmed Khan and Masrat Alam managed to give a slip to the police and went into hiding last night, they said.

Angry over government’s decision to impose curfew in the Kashmir valley, Hurriyat Conference said that it will go ahead with tomorrow’s march to Lal Chowk defying the ban orders. “As of now, we have decided to go ahead with tomorrow’s march to Lal Chowk,” the Mirwaiz told.

“This is uncalled for. Despite having a peaceful march, people as well as leaders are being picked up,” he said, maintaining he was trying to establish contact with other leaders of the Coordination Committee, recently formed conglomerate of separatist groups spearheading the agitation in the Valley.

“We have not had a violent agitation. (I) wonder why this action has been taken,” he said, adding that the Hurriyat would also press for withdrawal of laws like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and Disturbed Area Act in the state.

One killed, another injured in police firing

One person was killed and another injured when security forces opened fire at a group of people who were attempting to defy the curfew clamped in the Kashmir valley since this morning. Police said Ghulam Qadir Hajjam was killed when a stray bullet hit him during the protest while his son received injuries.

The incident took place in the Dalgate area this evening when the protesters tried to storm the battalion headquarters of paramilitary forces, police said. His son had been taken to hospital where his condition was stated to be stable.

Security forces had to resort to firing after repeated cane charging and bursting of tear gas shells failed to disperse the mob that was protesting against the clamping down of curfew.

Meanwhile, vehicle mounted with loud-speakers were seen moving in the city warning people not to defy the curfew and maintain peace and harmony.

(With inputs from PTI)

( This post is from an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by APakistanNews.Com.)

Curfew in valley; separatists detained

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