Curfew-like restrictions continues in SeK, downtown Srinagar

Curfew-like restrictions continued for the second day today in Shehar-e-Khas (SeK) and downtown in Srinagar, where people remained indoor due to heavy deployment of security force and police personnel to prevent any law and order problem following strike called by separatists.

All roads leading to historic Lal Chowk were closed with barbed wire and hundreds of police and security forces, wearing bullet proof jackets and holding automatic weapons were deployed, preventing people from entering the area. We have orders not to allow anybody, including media persons, to enter the Lal Chowk area, security forces posted at Aftab Gali said.

Both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference (HC) and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), spearheading the agitation, demanding right to self determination, have called for a general strike today.

Officials said that restrictions under Section 144 CrPC have been imposed as a precautionary measure in areas falling under five police stations of Nowhatta, M R Gunj, Safa Kadal, Khanyar  and Khanyar in the down town and SeK since early this morning.

However, the situation was entirely different on the ground as people alleged that they were not being allowed to move out of their houses.  State police personnel and security forces, wearing bulletproof jackets, helmets and holding automatic weapons in their hands, were deployed in these areas to strictly implement the restrictions.

All gates of historic Jamia Masjid, stronghold of chairman of moderate Hurriyat Conference (HC) Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq, who remain under house arrest since last about two months, remained closed and a large number of security forces and state police personnel remained deployed in the area. Nobody was being allowed to enter the Jamia Masjid area by the security forces.

The entire Nallahmar road from Khanyar to Qamarwari was closed with barbed wires and no one was allowed to move on the road. Main and link roads were closed with barbed wire and by parking bullet proof vehicles in the middle. People of these areas alleged that milkmen and vegetable vendors were also not allowed to enter from outskirts by the security forces.

Similar situation was witnessed at other places in the downtown and SeK, where additional security forces had been deployed since early this morning.

Authorities had imposed restrictions on August 12 when separatist, backed by trader groups, had called for a strike against alleged attempts to abrogate Article 35-A. There were no restrictions August 13 in any part of the city.