The authorities in Kashmir re-imposed curfew in several Srinagar localities on Saturday after an 11-year boy’s body was recovered from New Theed locality in the outskirts of the capital city. Normal life remained crippled throughout the Valley for the 71st consecutive day. The internet blockade imposed on September 12, a day ahead of Eid festival, continued to hamper communications including the publication of local newspapers.
Source said that thousands of people held protest demonstrations in New Theed locality on the banks of Dal lake where body of an 11-year-old schoolboy Nasir Shafi was recovered late on Friday evening.
locals said the people had defied curfew in the area to offer Friday prayers in the local mosque that led to intense clashes. Hours after the clashes Shafi’s body was recovered from the area where clashes had occurred. Police have not issued any statement on the killing.
With the teenager’s killing, the death toll of civilians has risen to 82 since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8 that triggered protests throughout Kashmir Valley. Two policemen have also died during the unprecedented clashes, which are showing no let up despite stringent measures to quell the uprising. Thousands of people have been injured during the clashes.
The normal life remained crippled throughout the valley on the 71st day due to shutdown announced by separatists. The separatist groups have issued the fresh protest calendar asking the people to continue shutdown without any relaxation till September 22.
The authorities have blocked most of the internet services throughout the Valley including broadband connections, which were previously barred from temporary snapping. The fresh internet ban was imposed on September 12 apparently to stop the wide circulation of separatist groups’ protest calendar, which is the main cause of current disturbance in Kashmir. However, surprisingly, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq continued to send press releases to media houses.
The mobile internet has been barred in valley since July 9 while the mobile telephony has been intermittently snapped.
Meanwhile, a noted human rights activist Khurram Parvez who was taken into custody by the police on Thursday night was shifted to Kupwara sub-jail. Earlier in the day he was remanded by an executive magistrate in Srinagar to police custody for ten days and was ordered to be produced before a court on 26 September 2016. He is being held under sections 107 and 151 of the Criminal Procedure Code (detention for breach of peace and design to commit cognizable offence).
Khurram’s arrest has drawn flak from the international rights groups who have demanded his immediate release.
The Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), for which Khurram works as program coordinator in a statement said that it has apprised the international community - United Nations, international NGO's and foreign governments - in Geneva and elsewhere of the grave danger that Khurram Parvez is in today as his unlawful detention continues. “The need for immediate and specific steps has been stressed upon. The actions of the Indian State in Jammu and Kashmir today, including with Khurram Parvez, are being closely watched by the international community. Khurram Parvez must be immediately released from custody,” the JKCCS said.