Normal life was affected in Kashmir Valley on Wednesday in response to a shutdown call by separatist leaders against the spree of cordon and search operations across the Valley and recent killing of three civilians including two young women allegedly at the hands of security forces.
The authorities imposed restrictions in several parts of old Srinagar and held several separatist leaders including Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik under house arrest. An independent legislator Sheikh Rasheed was taken into custody when he attempted to march towards south Kashmir’s Shopian district to hold protests against the killing of a woman Rubeena Jan.
Shops and business establishments remained generally closed and passenger transport was off the roads. However, private vehicles plied in Srinagar and other parts of Valley. The authorities had suspended train services between Srinagar and Banihal in view of the security situation. Widespread condemnation has evoked over the killing of three civilians during past 11 days in north and southern parts of Kashmir.
Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) compriing Geelani, Mirwaiz and Malik, which holds the separatist camp, had called for daylong shutdown against the killings. “Under the complete patronage of Government, the forces deployed in Kashmir seem to be on a mission to commit the planned genocide of Kashmiris without any gender difference,” a JRL spokesman said.
CM Mehbooba Mufti has regretted the killings and probe has been ordered in one of the incidents where army shot dead a cab driver Asif Iqbal who had ventured out of his house to transport a patient to hospital. Army said the driver died in crossfire but locals said that the Army had laid an ambush late in the night when Iqbal came out of his residence.