Curfew lifted from Kashmir after 51 days

“They also fired teargas shells and pellets on the people who tried to resist their move injuring at least 20”, they said. In some of the worst hit areas of South Kashmir, which connect other parts of Kashmir region with rest of the country through Jammu-Srinagar national highway, people are staying awake in the night to keep off the forces from raiding their homes and carrying out arrests.

He also said that all political parties spoke in one voice on Kashmir, sending out a strong message to the world as well as separatists. “We have to ensure that a credible mechanism for dialogue, reconciliation and resolution is put in place and it should not be like the half-hearted efforts made in similar situations after 2008 and 2010 unrest”, she said.

The longest curfew in Kashmir, which lasted for 51 days, will finally be lifted from all parts of the Valley on Monday, except the district of Pulwama and some areas in Srinagar.

Main markets and public transport, however, remained closed in Srinagar city and elsewhere in the Valley.

The lifting of the curfew came a day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said “any life lost.is India’s loss” and talked about unity and compassion to bring peace there. The youth, Shahnawaz Khan, had jumped into River Jhelum after he was chased by Indian forces in Sangam area of Islamabad district, yesterday, and his body was fished out, today.

It has been nearly 51 days the Kashmir valley is under curfew, the longest ever ongoing spell in the region’s history which is making the already-hardened lives of the Kashmiris unbearable.

He said some miscreants in order to disturb the situation assembled on roads and allegedly pelted stones on police and security force deployments.

On the other hand, police detained Awami Ittihaad Party leader, Engineer Abdur Rasheed ahead of his anti-India protest outside Indian Army garrison at Badambagh in Srinagar.

The official said curfew also continued in the two south Kashmir towns of Pulwama and Pampore.

The separatist camp, which is spearheading the agitation in the Valley over the civilian killings during the protests against Wani’s killing, has extended the strike call in the Valley till 1 September.

In Islamabad, speakers at a seminar, today, expressed solidarity with the oppressed people of occupied Kashmir and appealed to the worldwide community to impress upon India to stop its brutalities in the territory.