JOIN USAuthorities on Sunday imposed curfew like restrictions in old city areas of Srinagar to foil the proposed rally by Hurriyat Conference at Eidgah here to commemorate the death anniversary of separatist leaders Mirwaiz Muhammad Farooq and Abdul Gani Lone.
Elsewhere, in Kashmir Valley the strike called by moderate Hurriyat affected normal life with most of the places registering partial to complete strike. An official spokesman said restrictions under Section 144 CrPC were imposed as a precautionary measure in five police station areas of the city. Hundreds of policemen and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel wearing battle gear were seen patrolling the lanes and by-lanes of old city.
Security forces had also erected checkpoints and barricades on all roads leading to old Srinagar. They also laid concertina wires to stop any type of movement. Reports from various district headquarters said that shops and business establishments remained closed while traffic plied partially.
The authorities had placed moderate Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest. Like the past years, the Hurriyat had planned a gathering at the Eidgah martyrs’ graveyard to commemorate the death anniversary of its two slain leaders – Mirwaiz Farooq and Gani Lone.
Mirwaiz Farooq, father of Mirwaiz Umar, who headed the Awami Action Committee was assassinated in 1990 by unidentified gunmen, whom police claim were members of militant group Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. Lone was shot dead at a rally, called to pay tributes to Farooq, on this day in 2002 by unidentified gunmen.