Curfew lifted from Srinagar district, restrictions due to pandemic to continue

Tribune News Service
Srinagar, August 5

Srinagar administration has lifted curfew restrictions in the district within a day of imposing it—a development that comes a day before Jammu and Kashmir will mark a year since the central government read down Articles 370 and 35-A of the Indian Constitution and split the state into two union territories.

Deputy Commissioner Shahid Iqbal Choudhury said in his second order in as many days that the administration had decided to prematurely end the curfew after assessing the situation in the area.

The curfew would have otherwise gone on till Wednesday night.

The order, however, says restrictions ordered on July 31 under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code and the Disaster Management Act in view of the prevailing COVID-19 situation will remain in force.

Restrictions will continue on movement of more than three people, and shops and commercial establishments will remain closed, the order said.

Choudhury also asked people to avoid public gatherings as an important part of the efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 and urged the general public to ensure strict compliance with all guidelines and protocols.

The development comes a day after Choudhury issued an order imposing curfew with immediate effect. The order cited security concerns as the reason, saying that it has specific security inputs warning of possibly violent protests to mark August 5—the day the central government scrapped the two articles that gave special status to the state and imposed a complete lockdown in the state—as a “Black Day”.

The order said it had security inputs that led them to believe that “separatist and Pakistan sponsored group are planning to observe 5th August 2020 as Black Day” and that “apprehension of violation action or protests are not ruled out”. With PTI