A complete shutdown was Friday observed across the Valley to mourn the death of a PhD scholar-turned-militant, Dr Abdul Manan Wani who was killed along with his associate in Handwara village on Thursday in an encounter with government forces. The shutdown call was given by Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik, appealing people to observe shutdown today to pay homage to Manan Wani.In view of shutdown, the district administration Srinagar had imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar to thwart any protest against the killing of Manan Wani. Besides, reports said curfew-like-restrictions were also imposed in Lolab area of North Kashmir's Kupwara district-the home town of Manan Wani. Witnesses said that the heavy deployment of forces was deployed in the roads to ensure peaceful situation throughout the day. Meanwhile, educational institutions in major parts of Kashmir Valley were closed as ‘precautionary measure’.Meanwhile, all the shops and business establishments remained closed throughout the day while as traffic was also thin on the roads. However, clashes erupted at few places across the Valley including Shopian. Forces used tear gas canisters to disperse the youth after they threw stones to them at some places.
Meanwhile, Friday prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in Old City are of Nowhatta was today disallowed by the authorities, amid restrictions in parts of Srinagar to thwart protest against the death of PhD scholar-turned-militant, Abdul Manan Wani. Authorities have imposed restrictions in Nowhatta area of Srinagar and also barred people from offering congregational Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid. Meanwhile Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman and Jamia Masjid’s head cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq continued to remain under house detention today, thus barring him from leading prayers at grand Masjid here.Mirwaiz however said that “repression of Government of India has pushed the youth to armed resistance and a cycle of death and loss.” “Even as Kashmir shuts to mourn scholar shaheed Mananwani , downtown under strict curfew prayers at Jamia Masjid again barred for the 15 th Friday this year while arbitrary arrests PSAs on activists , suspension of Kashmiri students from universities, repeated closure of colleges and universities to disallow dissent continues unabated. This repression coupled with intransigence of Govt of India pushes young boys to armed resistance and a cycle of death and loss,” Mirwaiz tweeted. Besides, the railway authorities had also suspended the train services between Baramulla to Banihal. Besides, the mobile internet speed was also reduced to 2G at various districts.(KNO)