Curfew continues in J&K’s Kishtwar

Curfew continued for the third consecutive day in volatile Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday following the killing of a senior BJP leader and his brother by unidentified gunmen two days earlier.

On Friday the curfew was extended to neighbouring Bhadarwah and Doda towns of Chenab Valley “as a precautionary measure.” The region is on edge since the killing of BJP’s state secretary Anil Parihar (52) and his brother, Ajeet Parihar (55) on Thursday night by unidentified gunmen.

A special investigation team (SIT) headed by the Additional Superintendent of Police Kishtwar has been set up to probe the murders.

According to officials, the situation in Kishtwar town continues to be “tense but under control.” The curfew is being strictly imposed with “shoot at sight” orders, they said. “As of now, the situation is completely under control with no untoward incident reported from anywhere. Communities have shown solidarity and maintained harmony in Kishtwar.”

“We have not yet decided about the relaxation in curfew. The situation will be assessed in the evening,” officials added.

Authorities have suspended mobile Internet services in Kishtwar and other sensitive areas of the Chenab Valley. In Jammu city and other districts of the region, the speed of mobile Internet has been brought down to prevent uploading of inflammatory pictures and posts by anti-social elements.

Reports said the students appearing in their 10th and 12th class examinations faced a tough time due to curfew and restrictions imposed by the authorities. The administration decided to go ahead with the examination on the scheduled dates despite the curfew. However, the students are struggling to reach the examination centres.

In a show of solidarity, imam (priest) of Jamia Masjid Kishtwar, Farooq Kitchloo on Friday appealed to all Muslims to reach the cremation ground to join the last rites of the BJP leader and his brother.

In 2013, three people were killed while eighty others were injured when riots broke out between the two communities after the Eid festival. The situation was rightly handed by the then state government by timely calling of army and preventing entry of politicians into the sensitive areas.