A day after fresh killing, authorities on Monday continued curfew for the 45th consecutive day paralyzing life across Kashmir. Strict curfew was imposed Old Srinagar city while all the roads leading towards Fathekadal, the native area of Imran Fayaz Wani who was killed in government forces action on Sunday evening were sealed by police restricting the movement of people particularly mourners.Sixty-nine people including two cops have died in the unrest that began on the day Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with government forces on July 8 last month. Top separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq are under house arrest while Yasin Malik is lodged in central jail.The resistance leadership had asked people to march towards tehsil headquarters. The leadership had urged upon people to offer Zuhar prayers at Tehsil headquarters and after prayers hold ‘Referendum Congregations’ for the freedom of Jammu and Kashmir. Further people had been asked to block all roads towards and around Civil Secretariat Srinagar, DC and Tehsil officers and ensure that no employee should join the duty.In a bid to foil the separatist program, authorities imposed curfew, however authorities facilitated the free movement of people in Civil Lines areas. All the barricades erected at Abdullah Bridge, TRC chowk, Lal Chowk, Regal Chowk and Dalgate had been removed.
Reports said that a huge pro freedom rally was organized in Haaripaarigam area of Tral town in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Witnesses said that government forces earlier resorted to heavy tear-smoke shelling to foil the rally, however, despite shelling, people regrouped and organized a rally. The rally was addressed by couple of speakers who urged upon people to be steadfast and organize only peaceful protests.Reports said that more than 27 people were injured when government forces fired pellets and tear-smoke shells to disperse a ‘peaceful’ protest rally at Ganapora Balapora village of South Kashmir’s Shopian district. “We had even sought permission from polie and our rally was peaceful. Government forces emerged and resorted to unprovoked shelling,” said a local from the area adding that dozens of people were injured in Forces action.Confirming the incident, a top police official that a constable was also badly wounded when protesters pelted stones on the police.Stone-pelting incidents were reported from South Kashmir’s Kulgam district. Reports said that youth tried to take out a march; however, they were stopped by police resulting in confrontation. At Seklo village of the district reports said that a pro-freedom rally was organized that was attended by a large number of people. Stone pelting incidents were also reported from Koimouh Kulgam.
People from couple of Pulwama villages alleged that Special Operation Group and CRPF personnel resorted to unprovoked tear-gas shelling at a time when no protest was going on. People said that at around 2pm on Monday, SOG and CRPF men in dozens of vehicles appeared in villages including Gadoora, Chewa Kalan, Gosu and Rahmo and fired tear-smoke shells on people. The action according to villagers was provocative. “Yesterday scores of Panchas and Sarpanchs from these hamlets had resigned and we believe today’s forces action was a reaction to their stand which they adopted,” locals told CNS.Responding to the call of Resistance leadership, large number of people marched from Central Eidgah to Tehsil Headquarters Ajas in Bandipora where people organized a peaceful protest. Amid pro-freedom slogans the protesters offered prayers on the road. Police didn’t intervene while protesters dispersed peacefully.Eyewitnesses said that a protest rally was carried out in Aloosa village of Bandipora district. Eyewitnesses and reports said that residents of Ashtengoo, Aloosa, Malangham and Kehnusa participated in the rally. The protesters riding on tractors and motorcycles marched through the inner streets of Aloosa village raising pro-freedom and anti-India slogans.
Reports from Sopore town said that Police and other para-military forces fired tear gas shells to disperse protestors. Witnesses said that hundreds of people came out on roads in Arampora, Chinkipora Rahim Sahab, Lal Bab Sahab areas after Zuhr prayers. The protestors amid pro-freedom and anti-India slogans staged a massive protest. The protestors demanded immediate halt to the use of pellets. After the procession started growing bigger and bigger, forces resorted to teargas shelling to disperse the protesters resulting in clashes that continued for hours.A protest was carried out in Palhalan area of North Kashmir that was attended by large number of people. Protesters demanded ban on pellet guns. They alleged that even peaceful protesters are not spared and targeted with pellets. Witnesses said that hundreds of people from different localities of Palhallan assembled at Eidgah. Representatives of Tehreek Hurriyat, Muslim league, Liberation Front, Jamat-e-Islami and Jamiat Ahilhadith participated in the protest. (CNS)