Indefinite curfew imposed in Kashmir

Srinagar, Oct 5 (UNI) Indefinite curfew has been imposed in Srinagar and all major towns and tehsils in the Kashmir valley early this morning, officials said. It was a preventive measure to avoid any clash, they said.

They said curfew has been imposed from 0430 hours in the areas falling under all police stations in the Srinagar district.

Besides curfew has been imposed in all the districts in the valley. Official sources said the move was to prevent people from gathering at Lal Chowk tomorrow on a call given by Coordination Committee (CC) spearheading the present agitation in Kashmir.

They said there was no report of any curfew violation from any part of the valley.

The CC has appealed to people to reach Lal Chowk on October 6.

It is demanding, among other things, opening of all cross-Line of Control(LoC) roads for trade and free movement, release of all detenues and withdrawal of troops and special powers to security forces in the state.

Official sources said the entire Chowk was sealed last night from all the sides, besides CRPF and police personnel have been deployed in strength in the civil lines to prevent any gathering there.

The CC, an alliance of both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference (HC), traders, lawyers and other separatist organisations, had given the 'Lal Chowk' chalo call on August 25.

However, authorities imposed curfew in Srinagar and other major districts and arrested chairmen of HC Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Mohammad Yaseen Malik along with more than 100 senior and second rank separatist leaders on August 24. Majority of them are still under detention while about two dozen were booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA).

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