Amid crackdown on
separatists, Srinagar put under undeclared curfew
◆Hurriyat leaders under house arrest, over 200 detained ahead of Pak I-Day
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
________
SRINAGAR, Aug 13: After receiving reports that some separatist groups were planning to hoist Pakistani national flags at several places in the summer capital to celebrate Pakistan's Independence Day on Friday, authorities here have launched a major crackdown and decided to put half of Srinagar under undeclared curfew.
Senior government officials confirmed that "restrictions"---euphemism for curfew----would remain in force on the peoples' movement in the areas under the jurisdiction of seven Police Stations within Rainawari-Safakadal-Maisuma triangle from Thursday evening to Saturday afternoon. Superintendent of Police Headquarters (Srinagar) Waseem Qadri told STATE TIMES that the District Magistrate had issued orders for "enforcement of restrictions" so as to maintain law and order.
Even as curfew and shutdown have been a permanent feature on the Indian Independence Day of August 15 since 1990, the capital will be under curfew first time in the last 23 years, on August 30. According to the reports, Pakistani flags and balloons had been put in place at some places both in downtown and some Civil Lines areas to celebrate the Pakistani Independence Day.
Sources in higher echelons of Jammu and Kashmir Police revealed to this newspaper that the authorities decided to impose curfew in downtown Srinagar immediately after receiving "credible inputs" that some secessionist groups had planned to put up pro-Pakistan demonstrations while hoisting the Pakistani flags at different places on Friday.
JKLF Chairman Yasin Malik has been already detained at a Police Station. Sources said that almost all other first rung separatist leaders, including Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, have been placed under house arrest. Police raided Dukhtaraan-e-Millat Chairperson Asiya Andrabi's residence but she had already left for an undisclosed destination.
On record, officials refused to elaborate but well-placed government sources told STATE TIMES that over 200 "suspects and potential threats" had been picked up and detained at different Police Stations in the last 24 hours. "Search is underway for over a dozen persons", said a source while confirming that almost the entire second and third rung separatist leadership was being detained.
Police and security forces have put in place extraordinary bandobust in Srinagar as well as all other districts in Kashmir valley to fail the militants' plans to disrupt the I-Day ceremonial parades and celebrations on Saturday.
END
◆Hurriyat leaders under house arrest, over 200 detained ahead of Pak I-Day
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
________
SRINAGAR, Aug 13: After receiving reports that some separatist groups were planning to hoist Pakistani national flags at several places in the summer capital to celebrate Pakistan's Independence Day on Friday, authorities here have launched a major crackdown and decided to put half of Srinagar under undeclared curfew.
Senior government officials confirmed that "restrictions"---euphemism for curfew----would remain in force on the peoples' movement in the areas under the jurisdiction of seven Police Stations within Rainawari-Safakadal-Maisuma triangle from Thursday evening to Saturday afternoon. Superintendent of Police Headquarters (Srinagar) Waseem Qadri told STATE TIMES that the District Magistrate had issued orders for "enforcement of restrictions" so as to maintain law and order.
Even as curfew and shutdown have been a permanent feature on the Indian Independence Day of August 15 since 1990, the capital will be under curfew first time in the last 23 years, on August 30. According to the reports, Pakistani flags and balloons had been put in place at some places both in downtown and some Civil Lines areas to celebrate the Pakistani Independence Day.
Sources in higher echelons of Jammu and Kashmir Police revealed to this newspaper that the authorities decided to impose curfew in downtown Srinagar immediately after receiving "credible inputs" that some secessionist groups had planned to put up pro-Pakistan demonstrations while hoisting the Pakistani flags at different places on Friday.
JKLF Chairman Yasin Malik has been already detained at a Police Station. Sources said that almost all other first rung separatist leaders, including Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, have been placed under house arrest. Police raided Dukhtaraan-e-Millat Chairperson Asiya Andrabi's residence but she had already left for an undisclosed destination.
On record, officials refused to elaborate but well-placed government sources told STATE TIMES that over 200 "suspects and potential threats" had been picked up and detained at different Police Stations in the last 24 hours. "Search is underway for over a dozen persons", said a source while confirming that almost the entire second and third rung separatist leadership was being detained.
Police and security forces have put in place extraordinary bandobust in Srinagar as well as all other districts in Kashmir valley to fail the militants' plans to disrupt the I-Day ceremonial parades and celebrations on Saturday.
END
No comments:
Post a Comment