Curfew lifted; Rajnath to lead all-party team to Kashmir on Sept 4

Ehsan Fazili

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 29

With an improvement in the overall situation, authorities have decided to lift curfew in most areas of downtown Srinagar and elsewhere in the Kashmir Valley as the current unrest entered day 52 on Monday.

Except for the areas falling under two police stations of Nowhatta and MR Gunj in downtown, curfew has been lifted in the old city, a police spokesman said here.

The areas falling under five police stations in the downtown have been reeling under curfew since the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani in south Kashmir on July 8.

As the curfew was lifted, the movement of public and traffic was reported from all the areas of the city and other parts of the Valley. However, public transport remained off the roads. Shops, business establishments, offices and schools were closed. The police and CRPF personnel are keeping a strict vigil all over to maintain law and order.

The curfew was lifted for a day on July 26 in downtown areas that was marked by protest demonstrations prompting the authorities to re-impose the restrictions.

Elsewhere, the curfew remains enforced in Pulwama town of South Kashmir. The south Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian have witnessed widespread demonstrations following Burhan Wani’s killing along with his two associates.

Normal life continues to remain paralysed due to the curfew, restrictions and prohibitory orders and the separatist shutdown for the past 51 days, with the shops and business establishments closed and traffic off the roads. The violence that engulfed the Valley has so far claimed the lives of 70 persons, including 68 civilians and two J&K policemen.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has visited Kashmir twice during the past 50 days, first on July 23 and 24 and second on August 24 and 25, to hold discussions with the leaders of different political parties, civil society and others to find ways for an end to the present crisis.

As a follow-up of his two visits, an all-party delegation led by Rajnath will visit Jammu and Kashmir on September 4 and is expected to interact with a cross-section of people as part of efforts to defuse the situation and restore peace and normalcy in the Valley, according to a Home Ministry spokesperson.

The Home Minister on Sunday had an hour-long meeting with BJP president Amit Shah, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and MoS for PMO Jitendra Singh and discussed with them the modalities of the all-party delegation.

Sources said the meeting discussed the possible individuals and groups with whom the delegation may interact during its tour of the troubled state.

The government has sounded out different political parties to convey the names of their functionaries who will be part of the team.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken about the Kashmir situation in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme.

“’Ekta’ (unity) and ‘mamata’ (affection) was the crux of all interactions I had recently on Kashmir situation,” he had said.

Modi said those pushing youth towards stone pelting in Kashmir will someday have to answer them. He also said that all political parties spoke in one voice on Kashmir, sending out a strong message to the world as well as separatists Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had met the Prime Minister on Saturday. (With PTI inputs)