STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: A youth was on Saturday killed in clashes between protesters and security forces in Qazigund area of South Kashmir taking the death toll in the ongoing unrest to 73 even as curfew continued in parts of Srinagar in view of the separatists’ call for occupying Lal Chowk and Airport Road here.
Curfew-like restrictions remained in force in rest of Kashmir even as normal life remained paralysed for the 57th day.
24-year old Basit Ahmed Ahanger was brought to the district hospital in Anantnag here with pellet injuries sustained during clashes, a police official said, adding he was declared brought dead by the doctors.
“Curfew remains in force in five police station areas of downtown Srinagar and Batamaloo and Maisuma areas in uptown city,” a police official said.
He said curfew in these areas of the summer capital continued as a precautionary measure in view of the call given by separatists asking people to occupy Airport Road, city centre Lal Chowk and district headquarters today and tomorrow to protest the visit of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh-led all-party delegation to the Valley.
However, the official said, curfew has been lifted from the towns where it was imposed yesterday. Curfew has been lifted from other areas of the Valley in view of the improving situation, the official said.
Authorities had on Friday reimposed curfew in Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian, Baramulla and Pattan towns apart from some areas of Srinagar in view of apprehensions of violence after Friday prayers.
Curfew-like restrictions on the movement of people were in place in the rest of the Valley, official sources said.
Meanwhile, the body of an unidentified youth was fished out from river Jhelum on Saturday, triggering a brief clash between protesters and security forces.
The body was seen floating in river Jhelum by some persons near Amirakadal Bridge and was immediately fished out, officials said.
A police spokesman said preliminary examination of the body revealed that the deceased was a non-Muslim.
“The process of ascertaining the identity of the deceased and cause of his death is underway,” he added.
Earlier, some people claimed that the body bore pellet injuries, causing tension in the area which was abuzz with business activities after the separatists announced a ’12-hour relaxation’ in the strike from 6 pm.
Around 500 persons performed a Namaz-e-Jinazah (funeral prayer for Muslims) at the business centre.
Meanwhile, normal life remained affected due to the separatist sponsored strike on 57th day as educational institutions and private offices were closed, while public transport continued to be off the roads.
The separatists have extended the shutdown programme till September 8.
Two police personnel are among those killed while several thousand others have been injured in the clashes between protesters and security forces in the Valley since Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter in south Kashmir on July 8.
After burning down PDP MP Nazir Ahmad Laway’s house in Chawalgam, Kulgam last week, unruly mob on Saturday torched the house of PDP block president for arranging CM Mehbooba Mufti’s visit to South Kashmir.
No security, food for Sectt staff
JAMMU: The employees of Civil Secretariat on Saturday threatened indefinite strike in case the government fails in providing fool-proof security and food to those lodged in various hotels in the security zone in the summer capital.
Panic ridden employees, lodged in hotels viewed seriously the acts of stone pelting on Hotel Rafda late this evening despite curfew restrictions. “Over 50 employees from Jammu are staying in the hotel, who felt harassed”, said Suresh Bedi, Vice President of Secretariat Employees Union. He said the employees in the security zone are facing lot many hardships and go even without food at times, since the government forced them to join offices. Ghulam Rasool Mir, President of the Union said, “For the past two months, Secretariat employees from Jammu as well as Kashmir are working at the risk of their lives and the government is ignoring our demand for security.”
He said if the government failed in ensuring proper security, the employees will go on indefinite strike from Monday.
