The counter-infiltration operation in north Kashmir’s Uri and Nowgam sectors continued on the second consecutive day.
One soldier was critically injured in Nowgam on Tuesday during the anti-infiltration operation and later succumbed to his injuries while being evacuated.
Defence sources said that both operations were in still in progress. Both Nowgam and Uri sectors at the line of Control (loC) are in treacherous terrain with dense forests.
“There is still no evidence that any infiltrator has been killed in the two encounters,” sources in north Kashmir said.
Meanwhile, around a dozen people, including two women were injured in clashes with security forces in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district after security forces fired chilli pellets and teargas shells to foil a rally in Shangran-Dooru area. Reports said the rally was carried out despite the security forces action.
Meanwhile, normal life continued to remain paralysed for the 75th consecutive day due to restrictions and separatists’-sponsored shutdown. Curfew was lifted across the Valley except from areas under three old city police stations. The restrictions under Section 144 on the Assembly of people continued to remain in force in the rest of the Valley.
Shops, business establishments and petrol pumps continued to remain shut while public transport was off the roads. Schools, colleges and other educational institutions also continued to remain shut. Sparse private transport was seen plying on city and inter district roads. The vehicular movement came to a halt in the old city parts after several incidents of stone-pelting. Sources said protesters burnt down a motorcycle belonging to a policeman in old city’s Nawab Bazaar area late on Wednesday evening.
The normal life is hit in the valley since spontaneous protests broke out after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani on July 8. During the action from the security forces to quell the protests, 84 persons have died, mostly with pellets and teargas shells. Two policemen also died in the clashes. Over 12,000 civilians and 5,600 security personnel have been injured during the prolonged spell of unrest.
A police statement said that 43 persons involved in various offences were arrested on Wednesday. “A couple of stone pelting incidents were reported from Zainapora in Shopian and Shangran, Dooru in Anantnag. The overall situation remained under control across the valley. Greater movement of people and vehicular traffic was observed across the valley including in the Srinagar city,” police said.
Sources said police arrested three more Jamaat-e-Islami leaders from south Kashmir areas. The authorities have launched a crackdown on the workers and sympathisers of the prominent politico-religious organisation, which is regarded as the driving force for the current unrest.
Meanwhile, the authorities booked human rights activist Khurram Parvez under Public Safety Act and ordered to lodge him at Kot Balwal jail in Jammu. Parvez had been released on Tuesday on court orders but was detained again by the police before being allowed to walk free.
“Detaining a person right after he is released, without any intention to charge him or bring him to trial, amounts to using a revolving door of persecution,” said Aakar Patel, Executive Director, Amnesty International India in a statement.
“This kind of arbitrary use of the law suggests that the Jammu and Kashmir police are determined to lock up Khurram Parvez at any cost,” Patel said.
A legislator and head of Awami Ittihad Party Sheikh Rasheed condemned Parvez’s arrest “Khurram’s arrest has proved that for Indian State any Kashmiri, even if he is a journalist, trade union leader, student, human rights activist, a democratically elected lawmaker or a peaceful kid or elderly person protesting on streets, is an enemy’s agent and anti national if he speaks about political and human rights of the suppressed and oppressed people of J&K,” Rasheed said. Khurram Parvez is the Programmes Coordinator of JKCCS (Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society) besides the Chairperson for the Asian Federation against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD), a collective of 13 non-governmental organizations from ten Asian countries.
Meanwhile, a joint statement of separatists, who are spearheading the current agitation in the Valley, has extended the shutdown call in Kashmir through September 29. The protest calendar is the main cause for the disruption of normal life as people follow the call for holding protest rallies and disallowing the functioning of the government.