After witnessing mayhem for days, Kashmir Valley was quiet on Sunday with marketplaces open and traffic plying on the roads in most areas as the separatists allowed people to return to work for the day and the authorities lifted curfew to facilitate it.
However, curfew was reimposed in the southern city of Anantnag from 12 pm following renewed clashes between groups of irate youth whereas in parts of Srinagar targeted running vehicles and some shops by hurling stones at around 2 pm claiming that the Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference’s “relaxation” in strike was meant only up to that time.
Curfew was clamped on the entire Kashmir Valley on July 30 in the aftermath of widespread disturbances. 32 people were killed in police firings on pro-freedom protests and violent mobs prior or during the nine days of curfew. Though the restrictions were relaxed briefly in a few select areas of summer capital Srinagar on Saturday following improvement in the situation, a breather came on Sunday morning when the curfew was lifted. As Syed Ali Shah Geelani had earlier said that there would be no strike on Sunday and that people could seize the same for normal activities including stockpiling eatables and other essential goods and attend to other emergency requirements, the marketplaces began to be flooded by shoppers early in the morning.
The police officials said that the government may re-impose curfew if protests resumed in response to a call of the Hurriyat Conference which has announced a new week-long calendar of strikes and protests. The only two days taken off the hook are August 12 in preparation of Ramzan and August 14 which is Pakistan’s Independence Day.