New Restrictions In Srinagar To Foil Separatist Protest March

Authorities imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar city in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday to prevent a separatist called protest march.

Section 144 of the CrPc (Criminal Procedure Code) that deems an assembly of five or more persons as unlawful is already in force in Srinagar.

Monday's restriction is intended to prevent any clash between the law forcing agencies and the protesters. Senior separatist leaders -- Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik -- are scheduled to lead a protest march to Lal Chowk on Monday.

While Geelani continues to remain under house arrest in his uptown Hyderpora residence here, authorities on Monday placed Mirwaiz Umer and Yasin Malik under house arrest in their Nigeen and uptown Maisuma residences respectively.

The intensity of the separatist campaign has gradually been decreasing since it started here on 9 July, a day after Hizbul commander Burhan Wani was killed in a gunfight with the security forces.

Many shops, all public transports and some private transports have been functioning in the valley despite the separatist called shutdown. Complete normalcy has still been eluding the valley except on Saturdays and Sundays when the separatists allow full-day "relaxation" in their protest calendar.

With inputs from IANS