Curfew lifted from all parts of Valley

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 1

While restrictions and shutdown continued across the Kashmir valley, a youth, who was injured during clashes recently, died in a hospital here today raising the death toll to 86 on the 85th day of the current unrest.

The youth, identified as Muzaffar Ahmad from the Narabal area of Budgam district, had received pellet injuries on September 14 and had undergone eye surgeries, reports said. The youth developed infection in his body and was again shifted from Budgam to the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, here. He succumbed to his injuries early this morning taking the death toll in the ongoing situation to 86.

Curfew was lifted today from the areas falling under five police stations of downtown Srinagar and in the Maisuma and Batamaloo areas of the uptown in view of an improvement in the situation. The curfew remained enforced in these areas on Friday to prevent separatists’ call for march to the Lal Chowk and the violence after Friday prayers.

Restrictions, however, continue to be enforced in the summer capital and in other major towns across Kashmir to prevent any law and order situation as the Valley has been on the edge following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces in South Kashmir on July 8. The separatists have been jointly spearheading the agitation and issuing weekly protest calendars against the civilian killings in the ongoing violence.

The police here said there was no curfew in any part of the Valley and no untoward incident was reported today. A police spokesman said, “There was greater movement of people and vehicular traffic observed in Srinagar city as also in other parts of the Valley.” He said 51 persons were arrested for various offences for creating disturbance in different parts of the Valley.