Curfew restrictions in Kashmir, no Friday prayers allowed

A Srinagar City road wears deserted look on Friday. — Excelsior/Shakeel
A Srinagar City road wears deserted look on Friday. — Excelsior/Shakeel

Mobile services restored, internet on Sunday
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Sept 3: Authorities today tightened the already imposed curbs on the movement and communication ahead of Friday prayers to prevent any protests while mobile services were restored late evening after day passed off peacefully while curbs and mobile internet shutdown would continue.
For the second consecutive day today, Kashmir remained under strict clampdown even as heavy deployment of security forces remained on all major roads and highways to prevent any untoward incident.
In Srinagar and other sensitive areas of Kashmir, strict curbs remained in place in the wake of Friday with all roads sealed with concertina wires and there was a huge deployment forces all around to prevent any large gathering.
No Friday prayers were offered in major shrines and Masjids in Srinagar and other places due to curfew like restrictions as roads leading to these religious places were blocked.
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For the second consecutive day, shops and commercial establishments remained shut across Kashmir including Srinagar. Public transport was off the roads due to the strict restrictions in place. Banks also remained closed while people complained of non-availability of cash in most of the J&K ATMs in Srinagar and city outskirts that caused huge inconvenience to the people who were in need of money.
Inspector General of Police Kashmir range, Vijay Kumar said that situation remained peaceful and under control across the Valley and that the mobile voice-calling service and broadband services on all platforms were restored at 10 pm today.
“So far the situation remained peaceful and under control. Thanks for the public’s cooperation in maintaining law and order. Mobile service (voice call) and broadband of all Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) shall open from today evening at 10 pm,” IGP Kashmir said.
“However, internet on mobile services shall remain shut till Sunday afternoon”, he said.
“People are yet again requested not to pay any heed to the rumours being maliciously spread by the anti-national elements especially across the border with an objective to disturb the prevalent peaceful atmosphere in the Valley”, he added.
Mobile phone connectivity and internet services were snapped on early Thursday morning in the wake of death of senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani as a “precautionary measure.”