Indefinite curfew imposed in Srinagar, FIR against Mirwaiz

SRINAGAR - An indefinite curfew has been imposed in Srinagar and a case has been filed against All Parties Hurriyat Conference Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq following Friday’s violence and arson attack on a police barrack in the Kashmir Valley region.

Curfew has also been imposed in Anantnag, Bijbehara, Pulwama, Kakapora, Sopore and Baramulla.

On Saturday, as the valley was celebrating Eid, mobs went on rampage and set fire to a police post outside the Hazratbal shrine.

As security forces tried to control the crowds, a complex that houses the state’s power department and crime branch headquarters, also went up in flames. Protesters targetted everything that symbolised state authority.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah blamed the separatists for not honouring their promise to have peaceful processions, and said this would be a huge setback to the peace initiative that was to be announced on Monday.

“We want confidence building measures to take place. I am here in Delhi trying to keep the confidence in the process alive. Such protests create problems for everybody else…How can you take this move forward if violence continues?” a television channel noted Abdullah as saying.

“As far as the AFSPA is concerned, we want the repeal of it. Half-hearted steps will not take us anywhere as these are mere gestures. We need a concrete, solution oriented process. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) is meeting and the government is talking amongst themselves, this is not helping,” said Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

The Opposition in the Kashmir Valley has blamed the state government for not doing enough.

“It would have been better to make a fair assessment here on the ground and then respond to the entire situation…control the situation first…see that what has been happening for last three months. I wish that both the central and state government turn serious and do something which is required…which matches the entire situation and the crisis,” said Nizamuddin Bhat, a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader. (ANI)