Kashmir shuts down over Budgam killings

Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 29

The normal life in Kashmir was disrupted today due to a shutdown call by the separatists to protest the killings of three youths in Budgam district.

Apprehending trouble, the authorities today imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar city besides suspending the rail services on the Banihal-Baramulla route.

To maintain law and order situation, the authorities had deployed additional forces in the volatile parts of the city and other major towns even as clashes were reported from Palhalan in north Kashmir and several parts of Srinagar city.

The joint call for a “complete shutdown” was given by three separatist leaders — Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik, who have also warned of mass protests if the “targeted killings of civilian protesters” near the encounter sites is not stopped by the authorities.

Three youths — Zahid Rashid, Aamir Fayaz and Ishfaq Ahmad — were killed and more than 24 persons were injured when the security forces opened fire on protesters in the Chadoora area of Budgam in central Kashmir near an encounter site, which ended with the killing of a Hizb militant. The protesters, hurling stones, tried to move towards the encounter site to help the holed-up militant inside a three-storey house.

Owing to the call for shutdown, shops, business establishments, banks and educational institutions remained closed in Srinagar even as public transport was also off the roads. The courts also remained closed as the lawyers boycotted the proceedings in protests.

Early morning clashes between the protesting youths and security forces were witnessed in the Rawalpora area in uptown Srinagar as one of the three slain youths, Ishfaq Ahmad, hailed from the adjoining Rangreth locality.

There were similar reports of complete shutdown from other district headquarters with inter-district transport services also getting disrupted.

In north Kashmir, the security forces were deployed in the volatile Palhalan, Pattan and Sopore areas to maintain law and order situation.

In the wake of the shutdown, the authorities also suspended the daily rail services between Banihal and Baramulla stations, as the railway line passes through several potential hotpots in the Valley.

On the other hand, all examinations scheduled to be held today were postponed by Kashmir University, Central University, and the Islamic University of Science and Technology, Awantipora, in the wake of the shutdown.

Militants attack police station in Kulgam  

Srinagar: Militants on Wednesday opened fire on a police station in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district but no one was hurt in the attack, the police said. The gunmen fired five to six rounds towards the police station at Yaripora in the district at around 5.50 pm, a police official said. He said the militants fled from the spot, mingling with protesters who were demonstrating against the killing of three civilians in security forces’ firing in the Chadoora area of Budgam district on Tuesday. There were no reports of anyone getting hurt in the firing incident, he added. — PTI