Life out of gear in Srinagar, curfew remains in force

Mirwaiz blames sectarian clashes on Indian agencies

Curfew continued in parts of Srinagar on Thursday throwing life out of gear in the city.

After skirmishes between two sects of the Muslim community over an alleged sacrilegious marking on some shoes, district magistrate, Srinagar Baseer Ahmad Khan, had on Wednesday evening imposed curfew in nine police station areas of the city.

Khan said that in view of tensions and apprehensions of worsening of the situation, curfew will continue on Friday.

A police spokesperson said that situation remained peaceful across the valley on Thursday.
“In Srinagar, curfew remained imposed in the areas of nine police stations where the day passed off peacefully. Life remained normal in other parts of the Srinagar city
and rest of the valley,” he added.

Reports said markets and streets in Srinagar bore a deserted look on Thursday with schools in the city remaining closed and the Kashmir University postponing all the examinations.

Trouble feared

On Wednesday, intense clashes broke out between people of two sects at Hawal Chowk, Alamgari Bazar, Sazgaripora and Gojwara here and fearing that the trouble could engulf a larger area in the historically-sensitive downtown, the government imposed indefinite curfew.

Meanwhile, moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq alleged that Indian agencies were bent upon creating tension between the Kashmiri Muslims and “break the mutual bonhomie existing here since ages.”

“As part of their well-planned conspiracy, they want to break the social fabric of Kashmir as it suits their vested interests,” he claimed in a statement.