Srinagar, Feb 17: Curfew-like restrictions were imposed on Saturday in the downtown and
Shehar-e-Khas (SeK) and some areas of civil lines and old city in Srinagar,
following the separatists' strike call in protest against shifting of detenues
to outside valley jails and killing of a senior Hurriyat Conference (HC) leader
by unidentified gunmen recently.
Police said that restrictions under Section 144 CrPC have
been imposed in the areas falling under the jurisdiction of M R Gunj, Nowhatta,
Rainawari, Safa Kadal and Khanyar in the downtown and SeK since Saturday
morning as a precautionary measure, to prevent any law and order problem.
Restrictions have also been imposed in some areas under
police station Kralkhud and Maisuma in the old city and civil lines.
However, the situation on the ground was entirely different
as security forces and state police personnel were directing people to remain
indoors as curfew has been imposed since early this morning.
All gates of historic Jamia Masjid, where Friday prayers were
offered on Friday after three weeks, have again been closed.
Large number of security forces and state police personnel
have been deployed in the Jamia market and nearby areas to prevent anybody from
entering the worship place, a stronghold of moderate Hurriyat Conference (HC)
chairman Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq, who was again put under house arrest,
immediately after he returned from Jamia Masjid, after addressing the Friday
congregation.
Hundreds of police and security force personnel, wearing
bullet proof jackets and holding automatic weapons, were seen patrolling the
areas to strictly implement the restrictions.
The main Nallahmar road from Tarabal Nawa Kadal to Khanyar
crossing has been closed for any traffic or pedestrian movement.
Security forces have closed the main road in the downtown and
SeK with barbed wire at Nawa Kadal, Rajouri Kadal, Kawdara and Khanyar.
Similarly, roadblocks were erected by security forces at Nowhatta, Rangar stop,
Khawaja Bazar and Gojwara.
Similar restrictions have also been imposed on roads around
the Malkha graveyard. Large number of security forces have also been deployed
at Rainawari, Nowpora and Bobdamb.
Additional security forces and state police personnel have
also been deployed in the civil lines, including Residency Road, Moulana Azad
Road, historic Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the city, Budshah Chowk and
Jehangir Chowk to prevent any law and order problem.
Similar deployment was made in Kralkhud of the old city.
The Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), comprising Syed Ali
Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq and Mohammad Yaseen Malik have called
for a strike on Saturday against shifting of detenues from here to other jails
in Jammu and outside the state, killing of HC leader Mohammad Yousuf Nadeem by
unidentified gunmen in central Kashmir district of Badgam and the recent
Supreme Court order, staying action against Army personnel, allegedly involved
in the firing incident at Shopian, in which three persons were killed. UNI
