On the third day of the death of prominent resistance leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, restriction and shutdown continued on Saturday in Kashmir valley.
Geelani died at his residence in Hyderpora area of Srinagar at 10:30pm on Wednesday after prolonged illness. He was kept under house detention for most of the last decade.
Following the death of Geelani authorities imposed strict restrictions on the movement of the people across the region to prevent assembly of people in his funeral. The funeral was held by the government forces without any immediate family member present.
Mobile connectivity and internet services were also snapped that were partially restored nearly 40 hours later on Friday night. Mobile internet still remains suspended in the region.
Srinagar city for the consecutive third day wore a deserted look on Saturday and reports from other districts of Kashmir suggest that people observed a shutdown while restrictions also continued.
Restrictions on assembly of people remained in force in most parts of the valley but curbs on movement have been eased in some parts, the officials said, adding the curbs were in place in Srinagar’s downtown and Hyderpora areas. Roads leading to Geelani’s Hyderpora residence in Srinagar remained sealed with barricades put up to stop the movement of people.
In north Kashmir’s Kupwara district nearly 100 kms away from Geelani’s residence, shops and other business establishments remained closed as police had put up checkpoints on the entry and exit roads of the town.
One of the local residents of Kupwara said that police have laid strict curbs in the district. “Private vehicles are allowed to enter and cross through the town only after proper inquiry and when the number of onboard people is less,” he said.
Sandeep Chakravorthy, the Senior Superintendent of Police (Kupwara) said that the “restrictions were in place but not completely”.
Baramulla and Bandipora districts of north Kashmir most people have shut down their shops even though restrictions were eased. In south Kashmir’s Kulgam district too curbs are in place and markets are shut as per the residents.
“Police have laid restrictions in the districts and people are not allowed to move and assemble,” said a local, who wished not to be named.
In tral town of Pulwama district, restrictions have been largely relaxed on the third as essential shops have been allowed to open as the “town remained under strict curfew on Thursday and Friday,” said Ishfaq Kar, a local trade leader.
Meanwhile, after restrictions for two days Jammu-Srinagar has been reopened for vehicular movement on Saturday. On Thursday after Geelani’s death Kashmir bound vehicles were stopped at different points due to the restrictions in the valley. (TKW)
