kashmir unrest: Restrictions on assembly of people lifted in valley

Separatists, who are spearheading the ongoing agitation, have extended shutdown programme till September 16

Restrictions on the assembly of people across Kashmir Valley have been lifted even as normal life remained disrupted for the 62nd day on Thursday due to the separatist-sponsored strike.

There are no restrictions or curfew anywhere in the Valley on Thursday, a police spokesman said here.

He, however, said security forces have been deployed at sensitive places to maintain law and order.

Even as the curbs were lifted, normal life in Kashmir continued to remain affected as the unrest in the Valley, in the wake of killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in July, entered into its third month.

While shops, business establishments and petrol pumps continued to remain shut during the day, markets in Srinagar and other places come to life late in the evening in view of the 12-hour relaxation in the strike from 6 pm announced by separatists on some days.

The separatists, who are spearheading the ongoing agitation, have extended the shutdown programme till September 16.

Schools, colleges and other educational institutions in the Valley continued to remain closed. However, the attendance in government offices and banks has improved a lot.

There was a heavy rush of customers outside various banks in the commercial hub of Lal Chowk this morning.

Public transport also continued to be off the roads, while there was increased movement of private cars and auto-rickshaws especially in the civil lines areas of the city.

The violence, in the wake of Wani's killing in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir on July 8, has left 73 people, including two cops, dead and several thousand injured.

The CRPF, meanwhile, said at least 17 of its personnel have been injured and numerous force vehicles damaged in various incidents of stone pelting in the Kashmir Valley in the last 24 hours.

The paramilitary is deployed for law and order duties in the Valley along with Jammu and Kashmir Police.

"17 CRPF personnel injured and 11 vehicles damaged in 21 incidents of stone pelting involving CRPF in the Kashmir Valley in the past 24 hrs," the force said in a tweet.

The Central Reserve Police Force has recently bolstered its number in the Valley areas with the induction of 25 fresh companies (about 100 personnel in each).