A shutdown was observed in Kashmir on Tuesday on the call of joint resistance leadership as part of weekly protest calendar issued in continuity after killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8 this year.Most of the shops, commercial establishments, financial and educational institutes and petrol pumps were closed in summer capital Srinagar while public transport was also mostly off the roads. However private transport and fewer passenger mini-buses and cabs were plying normally in different parts of city’s uptown and civil lines areas.In downtown areas falling under five police stations, government forces including police and CRPF were deployed in strength to prevent outbreak of protests. However, no one was being stopped by these forces men and the movement of pedestrians as well as private vehicles went on smoothly.
Although the day passed off peacefully across the city, but soon after forces men deployed at Kawdara started withdrawing from the area, youths pelted stones on them as well as vehicles passing through the area. Police lobbed some teargas shells to disperse the youth. In day, some youths resorted to stone-pelting on vehicles at Safa Kadal in old city.According to witnesses, some shops were seen open from many uptown localities of city including Jawahar Nagar, Sanat Nagar, Chanapora, Dalgate, Batwara, Bemina, JVC, Batamaloo Karan Nagar, Kak Sarai and Rajbagh.The reports of shutdown were also received from other districts of the Valley. According to a police officer, situation remained peaceful across the Kashmir Valley. He said JKLF chief Muhammad Yasin Malik was detained from Jama Masjid Shopian and later released. Earlier, Malik visited house of pellet-victim Insha in Shopian.(GNS)