A counterinsurgency policeman was killed in an encounter with militants in north Kashmir’s Sopore area on Wednesday even as normalcy returned to Kashmir Valley in the afternoon and separatists called off the shutdown for two days later this week apparently as a prelude to wind up the “protest calendar” that brought normal life to a halt for more than four months.
Sources said that a contingent of security forces cordoned off Yembarzalwari Marbal area of north Kashmir’s Sopore town after they received inputs about the presence of a group of militants there. Defence sources said that militants opened indiscriminate fire on the security personnel shortly after the search operation began. Several bullets hit police constable Muhammad Shafiq causing his instant death. Militants managed to escape from the cordoned area. Police said that massive manhunt was launched in the area to track down the militants in the forested area. A wreath laying ceremony was held in Srinagar to pay homage to the deceased cop before his body was dispatched to his native south Kashmir village for burial.
Meanwhile, life returned to normal across the Valley in the afternoon following the separatists’ call to resume daily work in the latter half of the day. The separatists are spearheading a shutdown campaign since the second week of July when security forces shot dead senior Hizbul Mujahideen leader Burhan Wani triggering massive public protests. The railway services were also partially resumed between Budgam and Srinagar in central Kashmir even as full resumption of the service between Banihal and Baramulla is unlikely in near future. The protests have damaged several spans on the railway track.
Realising that the shutdown calls evoke less response with each passing day, the separatists on Wednesday called off shutdown on Saturday and Sunday. Observers say that this would be a prelude to roll back the protest calendars, which have rendered the normal life to standstill for several weeks.
The smooth conduct of secondary level examination in the past three days has paved way for public movement across the Valley. The private schools association appreciated the separatist leaders’ decision to announce full-day relaxation on the weekend.
“We have already ordered all the schools to prepare for opening day. Schools have also been asked to help the students who suffered during the turmoil period,” GN Var, head of the association said urging the education must not be seen through the political prism.
“This is high time that education should be kept aloof of all the politics. Our schools should be allowed to function in peaceful environment,” said Var. “We appeal to leaders to declare that school buses should be treated as equal to that of ambulance and school as hospitals. Entire education sector should be declared as emergency sector which has to function under any circumstances.”