SRINAGAR: Normal life in Kashmir Valley was severely affected on Friday due to a strike called by moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference against army’s decision to close the Pathribal fake encounter case. Police detained several Hurriyat leaders to thwart their attempt to protest after Friday prayers.
Shops, offices and business establishments remained closed while public transport was largely off the roads, especially around old city. Work in courts was also affected as Kashmir High Court Bar Association had supported the strike call of Hurriyat.
Besides Srinagar city, normal life was hit in other towns of Kashmir Valley including, Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, Tral, Awanitpora, Bijbehara, Pampore, Budgam, Baramulla, Bandipora, Sopore, Pattan, Ganderbal, Kangan, Kupwara and Handwara.
In wake of possible protests, authorities detained various Hurriyat leaders while most of them were placed under house arrest. JKLF leader Javid Ahmed Mir was detained in police station MR Gunj while Zafar Akbar Bhat and Muktar Ahmed Waza were also detained by police. Police raided the houses of Hurriayat Conference Jammu and Kashmir leaders including Farooq Ahmed Dar and Mushtaq-ul-Islam, however both the leaders were not present in their houses.
Shabir Ahmed Shah and Nayeem Ahmed Khan were placed under house arrest while Muhammad Yousuf Naqash was lodged into police station Safakadal.
Protests were reported from different parts of Kashmir after Friday prayers. In Brari Angan Anantnag, home to two of the victims of Pathribal encounter, people came out on streets after Frodya prayers in large number and raised slogans against the Pathribal verdict.
Soon after Friday prayers, Hurriyat leaders including Hakim Abdul Rashid and Ghulam Nabi Zaki led a protest rally from Jamia Masjid to Rajouri Kadal peacefully. Both the leaders denounced the Army verdict over Pathribal fake encounter. However, as the rally culminated and people started dispersing, groups of youth resorted to stone pelting on police and CRPF personnel who were deployed on the roads. Police resorted to teargas shelling to disperse the youth. The clashes between police and youth continued for hours.
Police also foiled the march of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front and arrested 14 activists including chairman Yasin Malik besides Showkat Bakshi and Noor Muhammad Kalwal. JKLF workers tried to take out a protest rally and when they tried to move towards Lal Chowk, police stopped them in Maisuma Chowk and arrested 14 protestors. All of them were lodged in police station Khotibagh.
While addressing protesters, Malik announced that JKLF workers will hold a protest rally in Anantnag on Feb 2.
Stone-pelting incidents were also reported from Palhalan, Pattan and Khanpora Bridge in Baramulla town. Police resorted to aerial firing in Pattan to disperse the protesters. Eyewitnesses told CNS that Army personnel from 29 RR arrested two youth and later on handed them over to police.
Youth resorted to stone-pelting in different parts of Sopore town after Friday prayers. Scores of youth appeared on roads in Muslim Pir, Chinkipora, Neharpora and Mainchowk and pelted stones of police and Para-military troopers. A police official said that situation was immediately brought under control and the youth dispersed after police fired some tear-smoke shells.
Hurriyat Conference had called for the shutdown to protest the closure of the Pathribal fake encounter case relating to the killing of five innocent persons who were later dubbed as foreign militants in March 2000. After lengthy legal process to determine whether the five army personnel accused in the case should be tried in view of the immunity under AFSPA, the army opted for General Court Martial. The Army recently closed the case for lack of evidence, a decision that led to widespread condemnation from both the mainstream and separatist camps in the valley.
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