Kashmir: Death toll rises to 49; normal life remains paralysed for 23rd day

Srinagar: Normal life remained paralysed in Kashmir for the 23rd consecutive day on Sunday due to a separatist- sponsored strike and curfew and restrictions in parts of the Valley, where the death toll rose to 49 with one more youth succumbing to injuries. Ishfaq Ahmad Dar, a 17-year-old boy who was injured during protests in Sopore on 23 July, succumbed at SKIMS Hospital Soura on Sunday morning. “According to SP Sopore, the said boy had fallen from a tree on 23 July,” a police spokesman said, adding that an FIR with regard to spreading of rumours has also been lodged at the Sopore police station. [caption id=“attachment_2926322” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Security was tight for the 23rd day in a row in Srinagar. PTI[/caption] Meanwhile, curfew remained in force in five police station areas of capital Srinagar, Anantnag town, Pulwama town, parts of Baramulla town and Shopian town. Restriction on assembly of four or more people also continued in Kashmir, which has been witnessing unrest ever since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on 8 July. “Curfew is in place in five police station areas of Srinagar city — Nowhatta, Khanyar, Batamaloo, Safakadal and Maharajgunj,” a police official said. Due to the strike call given by the separatists, normal life remained paralysed elsewhere in the Valley for the 23rd consecutive day. The separatist camp has extended the shutdown call till 5 August, the day it intends to take out a march to Hazratbal shrine. Mobile Internet services continued to remain snapped in the Valley where the postpaid mobile telephony services have been restored across all networks. The incoming facility on prepaid connections has also been restored, but the outgoing calls are barred on such numbers.