Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Oct 15: Curfew was today lifted from parts of Srinagar after improvement in situation in Kashmir even as shutdown paralysed life for 99th consecutive day today while police arrested 48 stone pelters and trouble makers.
A police spokesman said that situation across the Kashmir valley remained largely peaceful today. “Following improvement in the situation curfew was completely lifted from the remaining Srinagar parts today,” it said adding that during the day no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the Valley.
However, hundreds of security force personnel were deployed in five police station areas of Srinagar’s Old City – MR Gunj, Nowhatta, Safa Kada, Rainawari and Khanyar – since early morning as a precautionary measure. The areas like Habba Kadal and Maisuma were also under thick security blanket to prevent any violence in these sensitive areas.
In Civil Lines and uptown areas of Srinagar, extra-ordinary movement of private transport and pedestrians was seen since early morning. Shops, commercial establishments and educational institutes were closed in most parts of Srinagar. However, in some areas including Batamaloo, some shops were open. Besides, the vendors had set up their stalls at Batamaloo, Lal Chowk, Dalgate, Sonwar, Jehangir Chowk, Exhibition Crossing and Jawahar Nagar.
In the evening, all the markets across Srinagar opened and markets including Lal Chowk witnessed huge rush of people and there were traffic jams in Civil Line areas.
A police spokesman said that with the increase in traffic movement in Srinagar city and in other towns of Valley the life returned to normal across Kashmir today.
The spokesman said that in its continuous drive against the trouble-mongers, police arrested 48 such individuals involved in disrupting the public order in different parts of the Valley.
At least 12 people were injured after clashes erupted at Werpora village of Nagbal in Shopian district. Reports from the area said that security forces allegedly thrashed the inmates after barging into their houses in Werpora at around 4 am today.
However, a police spokesman said: “The Shopian police administration has clarified that on a tip off, police and security forces cordoned off Urpora -Nagbal area and conducted the search operations early today morning.
“At the time of withdrawal, miscreants in large numbers from Hushnpora Daschnu and Humama etc assembled and pelted stones on the joint party. Thirty eight police CRPF/ Security force men were injured and four of their vehicles were damaged. Police and security force men exercised maximum restraint. The miscreants were chased away by using mild force,” he said. The spokesman added that some private vehicles were damaged in stone pelting.
Clashes also erupted at Pulwama town in the evening hours during which police and CRPF resorted to teargas shelling at the protesters.
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