Indefinite curfew re-imposed in Srinagar after Eid violence
Srinagar: Indefinite curfew has been re-imposed in Srinagar and a case has been filed against All-Party Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq following Friday's violence and arson attack on a police barrack in the Kashmir Valley region. Curfew has also been imposed in Anantnag, Bijbehara, Pulwama, Kakapora, Sopore and Baramulla.
On Saturday, as the valley was celebrating Eid, mobs went on rampage and set fire to a
police post outside the Hazratbal shrine. As security forces tried to control the crowds, a
complex that houses the state's power department and crime branch headquarters, also
went up in flames. Protesters targetted everything that symbolised state authority. Jammu
and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah blamed the separatists for not honouring their
promise to have peaceful processions, and said this would be a huge setback to the peace
initiative that was to be announced on Monday.
"We want confidence building measures to take place. I am here in Delhi trying to keep the
confidence in the process alive. Such protests create problems for everybody else...How
can you take this move forward if violence continues?" a television channel noted Abdullah
as saying. "As far as the AFSPA is concerned, we want the repeal of it. Half-hearted steps
will not take us anywhere as these are mere gestures. We need a concrete, solution
oriented process. The Cabinet Committee on Security ( CCS ) is meeting and the
government is talking amongst themselves, this is not helping," said Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
The Opposition in the Kashmir Valley has blamed the state government for not doing
enough. "It would have been better to make a fair assessment here on the ground and then
respond to the entire situation...control the situation first...see that what has been happening
for last three months. I wish that both the central and state government turn serious and do
something which is required...which matches the entire situation and the crisis," said
Nizamuddin Bhat, a People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader.
