<p>Normal life across Kashmir Valley remained disrupted on the second day on Thursday due to a three-day fresh strike called by hardline Hurriyat Conference demanding return of the body of Afzal Guru, who was executed in Delhi’s Tihar Jail on February 9.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani, who is under house arrest in New Delhi, had issued a protest calendar on Monday, saying complete “civil curfew” will be observed on Wednesday and Thursday, while a shutdown will be observed after Friday prayers followed by peaceful protests.<br /><br />Apprehending trouble, the government had deployed heavy contingents of police and Central Reserve Police Force in all major towns of the valley, including the Srinagar city. Police said no untoward incident was reported from any part of the Valley and the day passed off peacefully.<br /><br />The effect of strike was witnessed mostly in the rural areas of central, south and north Kashmir and reports said even the vehicles were not plying in these areas. In Srinagar, a complete shutdown was observed in city center Lal Chowk and its adjacent areas of Maisuma, Maharjbazar and Gowkadal.<br /><br />The interior city also observed complete strike with minimal traffic plying on the road there. In uptown areas some shops were open and skeletal traffic was also plying on the roads. The attendance in government offices was also thin as employees could not reach their destinations because of non-availability of public transport. <br /><br />Sources told Deccan Herald that the government will impose a curfew in some areas of Srinagar and few other towns on Friday due to the apprehension of protests. Section 144 of the CrPC already remains imposed in Srinagar. <br /><br />“Police have arrested dozens of youth from different parts of Srinagar and other parts of the Valley since Tuesday. Some of the detained persons are alleged to be involved in stone-pelting during 2008 and 2010 agitations,” the source said.<br /><br />A senior police officer said raids were conducted across old Srinagar in the last two days. “We have arrested only those youth whose images have been captured by our videographers during the protests.”<br /><br />Residents of old Srinagar accused police of harassing them “unnecessarily.” Police detained chairman of moderate Hurriyat Mirwaiz Umar Farooq at Srinagar Airport after he arrived here from New Delhi.</p>
<p>Normal life across Kashmir Valley remained disrupted on the second day on Thursday due to a three-day fresh strike called by hardline Hurriyat Conference demanding return of the body of Afzal Guru, who was executed in Delhi’s Tihar Jail on February 9.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani, who is under house arrest in New Delhi, had issued a protest calendar on Monday, saying complete “civil curfew” will be observed on Wednesday and Thursday, while a shutdown will be observed after Friday prayers followed by peaceful protests.<br /><br />Apprehending trouble, the government had deployed heavy contingents of police and Central Reserve Police Force in all major towns of the valley, including the Srinagar city. Police said no untoward incident was reported from any part of the Valley and the day passed off peacefully.<br /><br />The effect of strike was witnessed mostly in the rural areas of central, south and north Kashmir and reports said even the vehicles were not plying in these areas. In Srinagar, a complete shutdown was observed in city center Lal Chowk and its adjacent areas of Maisuma, Maharjbazar and Gowkadal.<br /><br />The interior city also observed complete strike with minimal traffic plying on the road there. In uptown areas some shops were open and skeletal traffic was also plying on the roads. The attendance in government offices was also thin as employees could not reach their destinations because of non-availability of public transport. <br /><br />Sources told Deccan Herald that the government will impose a curfew in some areas of Srinagar and few other towns on Friday due to the apprehension of protests. Section 144 of the CrPC already remains imposed in Srinagar. <br /><br />“Police have arrested dozens of youth from different parts of Srinagar and other parts of the Valley since Tuesday. Some of the detained persons are alleged to be involved in stone-pelting during 2008 and 2010 agitations,” the source said.<br /><br />A senior police officer said raids were conducted across old Srinagar in the last two days. “We have arrested only those youth whose images have been captured by our videographers during the protests.”<br /><br />Residents of old Srinagar accused police of harassing them “unnecessarily.” Police detained chairman of moderate Hurriyat Mirwaiz Umar Farooq at Srinagar Airport after he arrived here from New Delhi.</p>
