No let-up in Kashmir violence

There seems to be no let-up in the violence in Kashmir as one more protester was killed on Sunday. With this, the death toll touched 43 in nine days of unrelenting clashes.

Reports said an unruly mob defied curfew and tortured a police picket in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district. In retaliatory action by the forces, one protester was killed, while three others were injured. However, a police spokesperson said the overall situation in the Valley remained under control though stray incidents of stone pelting were reported.

The curfew remained in place in most parts of the Valley as the authorities desperately seek an end to the vicious cycle of violence, triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8.

Telephone services, barring the post-paid network of BSNL, remained suspended for the third consecutive day, while mobile internet services remained blocked for the ninth day on the trot with only broadband services spared of the clampdown.

Education Minister and government spokesman Naeem Akhtar said the telecom blockade would be lifted in the next two or three days.

He also said, keeping in view the prevailing situation, the government had extended summer vacations in all education institutions till July 25.

Due to the communication blockade imposed by the government, the actual situation on the ground could not be verified. A senior police official said the curfew would continue on Monday.

All vernacular and English dailies suspended publication for the second day on Sunday. Akhtar said newspaper owners were asked to suspend publications till July 19.
Cable television operations were allowed on Saturday evening, after remaining suspended for a day.

The resumption of operations was allowed after the operators agreed to take off all Pakistani news channels and two private news channels, Times Now and Zee News.

Meanwhile, people have been facing an acute shortage of essential commodities, including medicines, due to the curfew.  Residents of Srinagar complained that they were not even allowed to move out of their homes to arrange for food and medicines.