Srinagar: Kashmir observed a complete shutdown against the killing of four youth in South Kashmir’s Shopian District. The call for strike was given by different separatist groups including Syed Ali Geelani , Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, People’s Political Party (PPP), Chairman, Engineer Hilal Ahmad War and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), Chairman Yasin Malik and other. After Shopian, authorities brought Kulgam district under curfew during Sunday morning when it was revealed that the third youth killed in Shopian in CRPF firing hails from Kulgam.
Amid strict restrictions and curfew, hundreds of people including women assembled in front of Gagrin CRPF camp in Shopian and raised anti-India slogans. People used Public Address System and demanded immediate removal of the CRPF camp.
Protestors defied curfew and did not give heed to the repeated directions from the police that town is under curfew. They made a sit-in and continuously protested against the killing of four youth.
“We are not going to end the protest till this Camp is not being removed from the area. We demand an impartial probe into the incident and police should book all the CRPF men involved in the killing of our youth,†an elderly person Ghulam Qadir told CNS.
Deputy Inspector General of Police, South Kashmir, Vijay Kumar visited the spot. However, the protestors were unmoved.
Pertinently, four youth were killed on Sunday at Gagrin Shopian in CRPF firing. Reports said that at Baba Mohalla Shopian, youth resorted to stone pelting after the CRPF personnel restricted the movement of mourners and did not allow them to visit the house of slain youth Towseef Ahmed.
People, especially women came on roads and resented the action of CRPF personnel. Agitated youth pelted stones on CRPF after which they resorted to aerial firing.
Strict curfew was in vogue in Shopian Bazar and nobody was allowed to move on the roads. People were asked through public address system not to step out of their houses.
From Shopian, the tension spread to adjacent town of Kulgam when it was revealed that third youth identified as Tariq Ahmed Mir son of Ghulam Nabi belong to Okey village of Kulgam. In order to thwart protests in the town, authorities imposed undeclared curfew in the district.
Complete shutdown was observed by people in different parts of Kulgam including, Kelam, Yaripora, Devsar, Dhamhal Hanjipora, Homshalibog, Qaimou, Khudwani, Reidwani, Chawalgam, Pahlu and Mirhama. All the shops in Qazigund remained shut and public transport was off the roads.
Heavy stone-pelting was reported from Dooru Shah-abad. Youth pelted stones on deployed police and CRPF personnel. Three civilians were injured during the clashes.
Reports said that complete shutdown was also observed in North Kashmir’s Baramulla, Sopore, Pattan, Kupwara, Sumbal and Bandipora towns. Life came to stand still in South and Central Kashmir as well. Shops and business establishments remained shut in Pulwama, Shopian, Tral, Islamabad, Kulgam Verinag, Ganderbal, Kangan and Budgam towns.
Stone pelting incidents were also reported from Baghe-Mehtab, Moochu, Kralapora and other areas. Scores of youth were seen on roads pelting stones on Sumo and other vehicles plying on the road. Youth burnt down tyres and raised pro-freedom slogans.
Amid strict restrictions, youth protested at Maisuma in Srinagar. Police and CRPF were deployed in strength to thwart any kind of protests in and around City.
A police official said that the situation remained peaceful in Kashmir and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere.
