Jammu Kashmir Government Tuesday sealed restive Tral town to prevent march called by Resistance leadership in memory of militant commander Sabzar Ahmed Bhat who along with his associate Faizan Muzaffar was killed in a gun fight with Indian Forces on Saturday, May 27 at Saimuh village of the town.As expected, authorities imposed curfew like restrictions by sealing all the entry points leading towards Tral. The town is virtually cut off from rest of the Kashmir Valley as not only the strict restrictions are in place but also the cellular services are banned.Eyewitnesses told CNS that the town has virtually turned into a fortified garrison. “Everywhere you can see gun totting men in uniform and armoured vehicles. The movement of the people has been completely restricted,” said witnesses.“I was stopped at many places and not allowed to proceed towards Rathsuna village even after displaying my identity card,” said a scribe adding that concertina wires have been laid everywhere while armoured vehicles parked everywhere.
Some locals claimed that choppers were pressed into service to monitor the situation. A police official while refuting this claim said that there was no need to monitor the situation from air, as enough security personnel were present on land.Pertinently, the The joint resistance leadership including Syed Ali Geelani, Muhammad Yasin Malik and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq had called for a march to Tral to pay tributes and offer fateha to Sabzar and his associate Faizan Muzaffar. Geelani and Mirwaiz have been under continuous house detention while Muhammad Yasin Malik was arrested a day after he visited Tral to ensure his participation in the last rites of the slain militants.Reports said that despite strict restrictions, a group of people managed to reach Rathsuna Tral and organized a pro-freedom rally.Stray stone-pelting incidents were reported from a couple of places in the town. Protesters according to reports gathered at Bus Stand Tral and chanted pro-freedom and anti-India slogans.
Reports said that a group of protesters also attacked the house of PDP legislator Mushtaq Ahmed Shah. Witnesses said that rocks were hurled on the house; however, Shah was not present in the house.Meanwhile, a complete shutdown was observed in Valley with shops and business establishments remaining closed. Train Service continued to remain suspended on Tuesday for the fourth consecutive day. Educational institutions also remained closed.Meanwhile, a police official said that situation across the valley remained peaceful and under control. However, minor incidents of stone pelting were reported from Keller Chowk in Shopian and Court Road, Pinglish in Tral.At Pinglish Tral, miscreants heavily pelted stones on police and security forces deployment in which some police and security forces personnel were injured. The deployment used maximum restraint while dealing with the situation and the miscreants were chased away. A stone pelter was injured in the incident.To avoid any untoward incident, restriction under section 144 CrPC remained imposed in some part of the city as also in some main towns. (CNS)