Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 11: Curfew-like restrictions continued in Srinagar today for the third consecutive day to foil separatists’ plans to hold protests on the occasion of anniversaries, Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) founder Mohammad Maqbool Bhat while in rest of the Valley strike called by separatists’ paralysed life.
Curfew like restriction continued in Srinagar while in other major towns across the Valley there were no restrictions today but police and para-military Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were heavily deployed to foil attempts by separatists’ to protest.
Curfew in Srinagar and other major towns of the Valley was imposed by authorities on February 9 to foil any attempts by separatists’ to protest on the occasion of the death anniversaries of Parliament-attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) founder Mohammad Maqbool Bhat. Guru was hanged last year on February 9 while Bhat was hanged on February 11 in 1984 in Delhi’s Tihar Jail.
Restrictions continued in most parts of Srinagar today but there was no untoward incident. Police and CRPF removed the barriers and concertina wires that were used to block the main roads in civil lines area of Srinagar in the afternoon but restrictions continued in Maisuma locality and old city area of Srinagar.
Private vehicles plied in the civil lines area of Srinagar but shops and business establishments in most parts of the Valley remained closed in response to strike called by separatist groups.
The Mobile internet services continue to be snapped for third consecutive day today. These services were snapped in the Valley since midnight on Sunday as part of the precautionary measures to prevent the separatist to use social networking sites for fomenting trouble on the occasion. However, broadband connections through landline phones were functioning as usual.
Authorities in a major crackdown arrested around 200 activists and several top separatist leaders ahead of Guru’s and Bhat’s death anniversary. Most separatist leaders were detained in different police stations and the top ones restricted to their houses to prevent them from leading protest demonstrations.
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