M A I N   N E W S

‘Lal Chowk March’ today
Curfew imposed in Kashmir
Ehsan Fazili
Tribune News Service

The police and CRPF personnel attired in anti-riot gear have been deployed in large numbers in and around Lal Chowk and other areas of the city and barricades have been erected on the main roads.

A CRPF soldier stands guard near a barbed wire barricade in Srinagar on Sunday. Indefinite curfew was imposed in all 10 districts of the valley to prevent people from reaching Lal Chowk. Tribune photo: Mohd Amin War

Strict curfew restrictions remained in force in all the 10 districts across the valley, while no incident of violation was reported from any area, officials here said.

JKLF chairman Yaseen Malik, who was to head a 15-member organising committee to review the arrangements and discipline during the rally, was arrested from his residence here late last night.

Other senior leaders of the Hurriyat-led coordination committee, including moderate APHC chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Jamiat-e-Ahl-e-Hadeeth chairman of Showkat Ahmad Shah, have been kept under house arrest while a number of second rung leaders have been picked up as a preventive measure ahead of the rally.

The separatists had earlier chalked out the programme in support of the demand for “right of self-determination”, opening of all cross-LoC roads for free movement of people and trade, release of all detainees, withdrawal of troops and withdrawal of special powers to security forces.

It had been earlier scheduled for August 25, but was rescheduled after the government prevented by arresting top leaders and imposition of curfew across Kashmir for nine days.

The coordination committee comprising both factions of the Hurriyat Conference, JKLF, social and religious organisations, lawyers and trade bodies, rescheduled the programme for October 6 with four days general strike during the holy month of Ramzan.

Describing the restrictions as “high handedness” of the government, the APHC chairman said it showed that there was no space for peaceful protests in Kashmir.

He said curfew restrictions and arrests of several leaders implied “moral victory” for the people of Kashmir.

Mirwaiz, who has been kept under house arrest at his Nageen residence, said the Lal Chowk programme was still on and any future plan of action would be decided by the coordination committee.

Hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Geelani, who continued to be under house arrest for about three weeks, was admitted to the SKIMS hospital for treatment yesterday.

The district magistrate, Srinagar, has stopped transmission of Sen TV, a local news channel in view of “blatant violation of provisions of the Cable TV Network (Regulation) Act, 1995”, an official spokesman here said.

The local channel has telecast objectionable material with an objective to incite people to disturb public peace and tranquillity.