Kashmir curfew: Restrictions 'necessary' to maintain law and order, say authorities as curfew continues

Srinagar: Curfew and restrictions continued in Srinagar and other places in the Kashmir Valley on Monday as authorities said “these were necessary to maintain law and order”. “Curfew will continue in seven police station areas of Khanyar, Rainawari, Nowhatta, MR Gunj, Safa Kadal, Kralkhud and Maisuma”, Farooq Ahmad Lone, district magistrate Srinagar said. Syed Abid Rashid, district magistrate, Anantnag also imposed restrictions in Anantnag town to maintain calm. [caption id=“attachment_3491825” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AP[/caption] Similar preventive restrictions have been imposed in Shopian, Kulgam, Pulwama, Badgam, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Kupwara and Baramulla districts. The Kashmir Valley has been on the edge since Saturday when Hizbul commander, Sabzar Bhat was killed in a gunfight with the security forces in Saimoh village of Pulwama district along with his associate, Faizan Ahmad. Both belonged to Rathsuna village of Tral tehsil where they were buried in the village martyrs graveyard as hundreds attended their burial. Authorities had imposed curfew and restrictions on Sunday to prevent violence in the aftermath of Hizbul commander’s death. Separatists have asked people to observe a protest shutdown on Monday and appealed them to march to Tral town on Tuesday. Senior separatist leaders including Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq have been placed under house arrest while JKLF chief, Muhammad Yasin Malik was arrested and shifted to the central jail on Sunday. All educational institutions have been shut by the authorities in addition to postponement of exams scheduled on Monday by the university. Train services also remained suspended on Monday for the second consecutive day. Police said except for six stone-pelting incidents on Sunday those were handled with maximum restraint by the security forces, the valley remained peaceful. High tension and uneasy calm has started affecting the tourist inflow into the Kashmir Valley. Many hoteliers and others directly associated with the tourism industry are expressing fears of losing their livelihood if things do not return to normal quickly. Kashmir had a devastating tourist season last year in the aftermath of the then Hizbul commander, Burhan Wani’s killing on 8 July. The unrest that followed Wani’s killing lasted nearly six months during which 94 civilians were killed and hundreds other injured.