Separatist shutdown affects life in Srigar

Srigar, June 27 : A separatist-called shutdown to protest ‘police high-handedness’ affected normal life in Srigar on Saturday. The traffic on the strategic Srigar-Jammu tiol highway, however, moved without any hiccups. Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, chairman of the moderate Hurriyat group has called the shutdown against alleged high-handedness by police in the Jamia Masjid area of old city on June 26 during the Friday prayers. The magement of the Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area of old city Srigar said police had fired tear smoke shells in the area, some of which landed inside the mosque.

Markets in Srigar, both in the old city and uptown areas, remained closed and public transport stayed off the roads. Banks, post offices and government offices functioned normally in the city and other places in the Valley although with reduced attendance in Srigar due to non-availability of public transport. Hardline senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani has supported the shutdown.

A spokesman of the Geelani-led group of the Hurriyat conference said the octogerian separatist leader had been prevented by the police from offering Friday prayers as the house arrest restrictions on Geelani were not lifted. Police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers in full riot gear have been deployed in the sensitive areas to ensure peace in the city. Meanwhile, class work in the University of Kashmir remained suspended for the second day on Saturday as students were not allowed to entire the campus. (IANS)