Curfew in parts of Kashmir as separatists call march

SRINAGAR - Curfew was imposed in parts of Srinagar and other towns of the Kashmir Valley Wednesday as separatists asked the people to march to south Kashmir’s Pampore town to observe the death anniversary of Hurriyat leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz, who was killed in firing by the security forces in 2008.

“Curfew is in place in old city areas of Srinagar, including uptown Maisuma and Batmaloo localities. Curfew has also been imposed in south Kashmir’s Pampore, Pulwama, Kakpora and Tral towns to prevent separatist-incited violence,” a senior police officer said here.

“Restrictions will also continue in north Kashmir’s Sopore town, but these have been relaxed in uptown areas of Srinagar city,” he added.

Tensions have again heightened in the Valley after the recovery of a teenager’s body from a stream in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district late Tuesday evening.

Eighteen-year-old Farak Bukhari, whose body was fished out from Ningli stream in Choora village in Baramulla district adjacent to his native Kreeri village, was buried Wednesday morning.

Thousands of locals offered the funeral prayers of the teenager.

The autopsy of the boy’s body was conducted in the presence of a magistrate to establish the cause of death.

Relatives and locals allege Bukhari had been arrested by the security forces from Kreeri village July 28, after which he had gone missing.

“A missing report had been registered in the case and a special investigating team set up to establish the facts. Whosoever is found involved in the death of the teenager will be punished,” a senior police officer said.

With Bukhari’s death, the number of civilians killed in the unrest in the Valley since June 11 has gone up to 51.

Separatists have asked the people to shut businesses across the valley Wednesday and march to Pampore town, where Sheikh Abdul Aziz, a senior leader of the moderate Hurriyat faction, was buried after he was killed in firing by the security forces in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district during the ‘Muzaffarabad Chalao’ march Aug 11, 2008.

Shops, businesses, educational institutions, banks and post offices are shut in Srinagar city and all other major towns of the valley. Public transport is also affected.

Security men in full gear have been deployed at sensitive places in Srinagar to prevent violence.