Curfew was on Thursday lifted from Baramulla and Sopore towns but restrictions continued on the movement of people in most parts of the Kashmir Valley. The decision to lift curfew from the two towns in North Kashmir came after Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla, Mr Bashir Ahmad Bhat held a meeting with local representatives and discussed various measures to restore law and order last evening. During the meeting locals had demanded the release of youth, who were detained during the recent protests in the two towns, official sources said. Bhat assured them that the issue will be seriously considered on a case-to-case basis after proper investigation. Baramulla and Sopore towns were brought under curfew on Wednesday after protests over the killing of a youth, Fayaz Ahmad Khanday, in police firing on Monday. Locals have also been demanding action against security forces allegedly involved in the death of Class VII student Faizan Ahmad Buhroo, who drowned in river Jhelum during a clash between police and protestors last week. Though curfew has been lifted from the two towns, restrictions continued in many places on the movement of people as a precautionary measure, police said. Police and paramilitary forces were deployed in strength in Baramulla and Sopore on Thursday morning to strictly enforce prohibitory orders.
Restrictions on the movement of the people also continued in most parts of old city especially in areas falling under police stations of Nowhatta, Khanyar, Rainawari, Maharajgunj, Safakadal, Zadibal and Lal Bazar. Prohibitory orders are also in force in Batmaloo, Maisuma and Parimpora in uptown Srinagar, police said.
Meanwhile, life continued to remain disrupted in the Valley due to the week-long shutdown called by the hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference led by jailed leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on July 17 to protest killing of several youths in the past one month.