Curfew imposed to foil separatist march in Kashmir
By IANSFriday, October 22, 2010
SRINAGAR - Curfew was imposed in the old city areas of Srinagar and some towns of the Kashmir Valley to thwart yet another protest march called by separatists Friday, this time to mark a day 17 years ago when over 40 people were killed in security forces firing.
The hardline Hurriyat group headed by Syed Ali Geelani has asked people to march to the south Kashmir Bijbehara town and observe a complete shutdown across the valley.
In 1993 on this day, 43 people were killed in security forces firing in Bijbehara town and Geelani’s ‘Bijbehara Chalo’ call marks the anniversary of that tragedy.
Curfew has been imposed in old city areas of Srinagar city as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order and to prevent miscreants from inciting the youth to violence, a senior police officer said here.
Curfew has also been imposed in Bijbehara, Anantnag and Shopian towns in south Kashmir and Sopore, Handwara and Kupwara towns in north Kashmir.
Shops, public transport and other businesses remained shut in Srinagar while some banks, post offices and educational institutions functioned normally in areas where curfew has not been imposed.
Private transport also plied on uptown roads.
At least 110 people have been killed in the Kashmir Valley since June 11, mostly in firing by the security forces on stone-pelting protesters.
