SRINAGAR Authorities imposed tough curbs on the movement of people in most of Old City on Tuesday to prevent them and Hurriyat Conference leaders assemble at martyrs graveyard Eidgan on the death anniversary of Mirwaiz Muhammad Farooq and Abdul Ghani Lone who were killed 12 years apart on May 21.
The JRL leaders including Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik had called for a march to Eidgah here to commemorate the death anniversaries.
The authorities imposed strict restrictions within the jurisdiction of police stations of MR Gunj, Safa Kadal, Nowhatta, Khanyar and Rainawari.
Hundreds of paramilitary forces personnel were deployed in length and breadth of downtown areas and all roads leading to Eidgah were sealed off with concertina wires. Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq were placed under house arrest to prevent them from leading protest rallies. A police officer said that day passed off peacefully.
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In the wake of shutdown call, normal life across the Valley came to halt with most of the shops, commercial establishments and fuel stations closed along with the educational institutions, government offices and banks. The public transport was also partially affected but private vehicles plied normally.
A police officer said that day passed off peacefully.
Mirwaiz Muhammad Farooq, father of the incumbent Mirwaiz, was killed by unknown gunmen on May 21, 1990. Government forces fired at his funeral and massacred more than 50. Twelve years later, Abdul Ghani Lone, Peoples Conference chairman, was killed by unknown gunmen in 2002 during the Mirwaizs death anniversary function at Eidgah.
Meanwhile Hurriyat Conference (M) denounced imposition of curfew across downtown, sealing off all roads leading to the Eidgah and caging its chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
In a statement issued here, the amalgam also said that disallowing people from holding congregational Fateh Khawani and a public rally to pay tribute to the martyrs and remember them on their anniversary, was a highly undemocratic, and insensitive move on part of rulers.
Its unfortunate that even commemorative rallies and gathering by Hurriyat Conference are disallowed, the spokesman said, adding, It is not for the first time that authorities imposed curfew and deployed government forces in length and sealed all routes leading to martyrs graveyard but it has been the practice of them since past over a decade now.
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