Curfew relaxed in Kupwara and Budgam

Srinagar, Aug 27: Barring areas coming under two police stations, curfew was relaxed for two hours in Budgam and Kupwara districts today while elsewhere in the Kashmir valley it continued without any relaxation for past four days.

Officials said the curfew was relaxed in the frontier district of Kupwara from 1030 hrs to 1230 hrs, following improvement in the situation.

Relaxation period by and large passed off peacefully, they said.

They said the curfew was relaxed in the areas under the jurisdiction of all police stations but two in central Kashmir districts of Budgam. The relaxation period passed off peacefully.

However, there was no relaxation in the areas under the Budgam town and Beerwa police stations. Violence was witnessed here on August 24 when people defied the curfew.

However, a high-level meeting chaired by Governor N N Vohra last night decided to relax the curfew in a phased manner in different areas.

An official spokesman said the situation was well under control, but no relaxation was given in the curfew imposed on August 24 at 0400 hrs as a precautionary measure.

Curfew has strictly been imposed and people directed to remain indoors.

The authorities had clamped curfew, following a 'Lal Chowk Chalo' call given by the Coordination Committee (CC), spearheading the agitation in the valley.

Spokesman said a meeting appealed to the shopkeepers to open their shops in their respective areas during the relaxation period so that people could purchase essentials.

UNI