CURFEW TO CONTINUE IN KASHMIR

"Curfew will continue in seven police station areas of Khanyar, Rainawari, Nowhatta, M.R. Gunj, Safa Kadal, Kralkhud and Maisuma", Farooq Ahmad Lone, DM Srinagar has said. Authorities have further reaffirmed that  "these measures were essential in order to maintain law and order". Syed Abid Rashid, District Magistrate, Anantnag also has imposed restrictions in Anantnag town. Similarly, preventive restrictions have also been imposed in Shopian, Kulgam, Pulwama, Badgam, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Kupwara and Baramulla districts.The Kashmir Valley has been on the edge since Saturday when Hizbul commander, Sabzar Bhat was killed in a gunfight with the security forces in Saimoh village of Pulwama district along with his associate, Faizan Ahmad. Both belonged to Rathsuna village of Tral tehsil where they were buried in the village martyrs graveyard as hundreds attended the funeral.  

Authorities were forced to clamp curfew on Sunday in order to prevent further escalation of violence. Separatists have appealed for a shutdown in protest on Monday and to March to Tral town on Tuesday. Separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq besides others have also been placed under house arrest while JKLF chief, Muhammad Yasin Malik was arrested on Sunday. All educational institutions have been shut and exams postponed. Train services too remained suspended for the second consecutive day. Police said except for six stone pelting incidents on Sunday, the valley remained peaceful. High tension and uneasy calm has badly affected the inflow of tourists into the Kashmir Valley. Those depending on tourism industry for their survival have expressed their serious apprehensions of losing their business, if things do not normalize quickly. Kashmir's tourism business was very badly affected last year in the aftermath of the then Hizbul commander, Burhan Wani's death on July 8. The unrest that followed Wani's killing lasted nearly six months during which 94 civilians were killed and hundreds other injured.