Relaxed curfew later re-imposed in Srinagar

Srinagar, Aug 31: Curfew was on Sunday, Aug 31 relaxed for three hours from 0900 hrs to 1200 hrs in all areas falling under the jurisdiction of 25 city police stations.

Later, authorities reimposed it in almost the entire downtown and Shar-e-Khas areas following massive protests while the relaxation period in the civil lines and uptown had been extended.

Officials said in view of the further improvement in the situation, curfew was relaxed today from 0900 hrs to 1200 hrs to enable people to purchase essentials.

As soon as the announcement was made that curfew had been lifted, people in large numbers were seen on the streets.

Long queues could be seen outside medical shops.

People were seen purchasing vegetables and other essentials from the roadside vendors as main shops still remained closed.

However, in the areas falling under almost all police stations in the downtown, curfew was reimposed after massive protests at 1100 hrs.

But in the civil lines, including the historical Lal Chowk and Maisuma, the headquarters of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), the relaxation period was extended till 1500 hrs as there was no report of any violence.

A report from Baramulla said curfew was reimposed at 1100 hrs in the apple township of Sopore where thousands of people took to the streets.

Similar reports were also received from Kupwara town in north Kashmir where similar protests forced the authorities to reimpose the curfew.

Reports of the curfew relaxation in phases were also received from other parts of the Valley.

Indefinite curfew was imposed on August 24 to prevent people from attending the Lal Chowk march, call for which was given by the Coordination Committee (CC), spearheading the agitation in the Kashmir valley.

The CC, an alliance of both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference (HC), separatists and other organisations, are demanding , among other things, reopening of all routes with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) for trade, release of detenues and withdrawal of troops and all special powers to security forces in the state.

UNI