Srinagar, Nov 11: Authorities on Friday imposed curfew in parts of Srinagar to prevent a protest march called by the separatists, officials said.
Meanwhile, life remained affected on the consecutive 126th day on Friday due to a separatist-sponsored strike.
“Curfew had been imposed in seven areas to maintain law and order,” said a police official. Separatists had called for the march to the Jamia Mosque in the city’s Nowhatta area. Congregational Friday prayers have not been allowed inside the mosque during past 17 weeks.
Reports said that all roads leading to Srinagar’s main Masjid were sealed since Thursday evening with massive deployment of paramilitary forces and imposition of strict curfew and restriction in old Srinagar city.
Meanwhile, APHC spokesman condemned the ruling class for sabotaging the programmes of the unified resistance leadership with brute force and termed the house arrest the APHC Chairman Mirwaiz Muhammad Umar Farooq, shifting of JKLF chief, Muhammad Yasin Malik to Central Jail Srinagar, continued house arrest of veteran resistance leader, Syed Ali Geelani and house arrest of APHC leaders Moulana Abbas Ansari, Mukhtar Ahmad Waza, Advocate Shahid-ul-Islam, and Engineer Hilal Ahmad War as an ideological defeat of the ruling class and said the action of teargas shelling of peaceful unarmed protestors at Narbal, Bandipora and other areas by government forces that resulted in injuries to dozens of people was deplorable and shameful.
A protest march was also carried out in Pantha Chowk area of Srinagar city in which large number of people participated. The agitated protesters were stopped by police who in turn pelted stones on them. Police used tear-smoke shells to disperse the protesters. Clashes between pro-freedom protesters and government forces continued for hours.
Police in Aloosa area of Bandipora while foiling a proposed pro-freedom rally arrested three youth during clashes.
Earlier in the morning scores of youth engaged police in clashes that lasted until prayers were concluded. Locals in Aloosa accused forces of ransacking the houses and other private property. Clashes were also reported from Papchan area of Bandipora.
Clashes broke out in Tahab and Naira areas of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district when a large number of people hit to roads and pelted stones on the government forces. People were agitating against the arrest of youth during nocturnal raids. Eyewitnesses told CNS that government forces arrested at least 10 youth from Tahab and Naira during raids on Thursday night. Pertinently, Naira is the native village of PDP youth leader Waheed-yr-Rehman Parra.
Witnesses and reports said that people from these villages first staged a protest outside police station Pulwama while shortly after Friday prayers youth took to roads and clashed with deployed government forces. Youth played Kashmiri patriotic numbers on the loud speakers of the mosques. Reports said that many people were injured during these clashes.
Pro-freedom marches were carried out in different parts of South Kashmir shortly after Friday congregational prayers. Reports said that large number of people participated in such marches in Shopian, Kulgam, Tral, Anantnag and Pulwama.
Pro-freedom marches were taken out in Rohmu, Mitrigam and Gosu Pulwama as well.
Tehreek-e-Hurriyat district president for Anantnag Mir Hafizullah led a pro-freedom procession at Bado Mehand area of Bijbehara town. Witnesses said that large number of people participated in the rally.
