Srinagar: Normal life in Kashmir remained affected for the fifth consecutive day as partial restrictions on movement of people remained in force while as the authorities have decided to enforce precautionary restrictions across all districts of Kashmir on Friday to maintain law and order.
Normal life in Kashmir remained affected for the fifth consecutive day as partial restrictions on movement of people remained in force as a precautionary measure even as life was near normal in areas where there were no restrictions.
The restrictions were imposed on Monday after spontaneous protests broke out across Kashmir a day earlier against the killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israel joint strikes.
Chief minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday held a meeting with civil society representatives and religious leaders as part of efforts to bring the situation back to normalcy.
After the meeting, Abdullah appealed to people to maintain peace while expressing grief and anger in “mosques, shrines and Imambaras”.
The government has shut educational institutions till Saturday, and reduced mobile internet speeds.
“Restrictions on the movement and assembly of the people continued in many parts of Kashmir on Thursday,” the officials said.
A large number of police and paramilitary CRPF personnel were deployed across the city to prevent gatherings of protestors, the officials said.
They added that concertina wires and barricades were placed at important intersections leading into the city, while asserting that these were precautionary measures imposed to maintain law and order.
The iconic Ghanta Ghar in the city centre of Lal Chowk here continued to remain a no-go zone after the authorities sealed the area with barricades erected all around it on late Sunday night.
The move to seal the Ghanta Ghar came after it witnessed massive protests on Sunday after Khamenei’s assassination in the joint air strikes by the US and Israel.
This is the first time since August 2019 — when Article 370 was revoked — that protests on such a large scale have taken place in Kashmir.
A senior police official told ‘Kashmir Images’ that normal life was seen returning to normal across Kashmir, including Srinagar, with considerable public movement observed—something that had been missing over the past several days due to the restrictions, following protests after Khamenei’s killing.
He said that with the situation visibly moving towards normalcy, authorities would consider restoring full internet services and prepaid cellular connectivity, provided the situation remains peaceful on Friday and no law and order issues are reported.
Meanwhile, quoting “senior officials in the security establishment”, news agency KNO reported that the deployment of police and paramilitary forces has been intensified in major towns and sensitive pockets, with curbs on movement in identified areas.
The decision comes in wake of processions and rallies that were taken out in different parts of Kashmir after the killing of Iran Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in US-Israel strikes last week.
“Security arrangements have been strengthened and restrictions will remain in place on Friday. The situation is being closely monitored,” an official said, adding that any decision on relaxation would be taken only after Friday prayers.
The officials said mobile internet services will continue to operate at 2G speed across the valley, while prepaid mobile calling services will remain suspended.
The curbs, they said, are temporary and aimed at preventing any escalation and checking the spread of misinformation.
Another senior officer said the measures were taken as a preventive step to avoid mobilisation that could disturb public order. “Further decisions will depend on the ground assessment after Friday congregation prayers,” he said. (KNO)
