Kashmir Valley has been relatively calm since Friday morning even as a youth wounded in the security forces’ firing on protesters in the north-western town of Sopore during that day succumbed in a Srinagar hospital on Saturday leading to the rising of tensions in the area.
Meanwhile, curfew was briefly lifted from select Srinagar areas and completely from 13 cities and towns of the Valley on Saturday following improvement in the law and order situation, officials said. The major towns wherefrom the restrictions have been lifted include Handwara, Budgam, Ganderbal and Pattan. Curfew was clamped on all the 10 districts of the Valley on July 30 following widespread disturbances. Thirty-two protesters were killed in police firings during the week.
Soon after curfew was relaxed for four and a half hours from 11.30 am in areas falling under eight out of two dozen police stations of Srinagar and from 5 pm in those of Sadder and Nowgam police stations, residents rushed to marketplaces to buy eatables, LPG and other essentials besides medicines. As no major untoward incident occurred during the relaxation, it was extended for some more time in a few areas. Since, the separatist Hurriyat Conference has exempted Sunday from its strike, the curfew is likely to be lifted from the Valley for the day except in sensitive parts of Srinagar, Sopore and other few places.