Kashmir crippled by curfew and shutdown, Geelani arrested

SRINAGAR - As curfew continued for the second consecutive day in this Jammu and Kashmir summer capital and restrictions were imposed in some towns in the valley, separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani, who had called for a shutdown, was arrested from his home here.

Geelani, who heads the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference, was taken into preventive custody from his Hyderpora residence, a police officer said. He has been shifted to the Humhama police station in central Badgam district.

“Curfew continues in Srinagar city while restrictions have been placed in south Kashmir’s Anantnag and Bijbehara towns. Restrictions have also been imposed in north Kashmir’s Kangan town,” a police official here said.

Shops, educational institutions, banks and post offices remained shut and public and private transport was off the roads in Srinagar city because of the curfew imposed by the authorities. In other places, the shutdown marred normal life.

Geelani, who had Wednesday called for the shutdown across Kashmir Valley, had Tuesday said in a statement that New Delhi would “repent its decision forever” and should be ready to face an “unimagined stir” if it did not accept his five conditions to start a dialogue.

The five points are acceptance of Kashmir as an international dispute, demilitarisation to be supervised by a credible agency, release of political prisoners and youth, withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the Public Safety Act (PSA) and trial of the “war criminals”, who he said, killed 69 innocent Kashmiris.

He has asked people to resume normal life for three days beginning Thursday for the Eid festivities.

Geelani has also appealed for an austere Eid this year because of the deaths of 69 civilians killed in clashes with the security forces since June 11, when the present unrest started.

Geelani has been continuing his Quit Kashmir campaign. As part of the resistance programme, his group has been issuing protest calendars on almost a weekly basis for the last three months.

Four people were killed and 15 sustained gunshot injuries in north Kashmir Palhalan village on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road, 35 km from here, Monday when security forces intervened to remove a blockade put up by protester on the highway.

The incident led to heightening of tensions, and dampened the enthusiasm for Eid.

“Eid is a great occasion for spreading the message of brotherhood and joy, but how does one approach a neighbour with greetings who has lost his only son in the present unrest,” said a bitter Muzaffar Ahmad, a college teacher here.