SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Sunday foiled the separatists march to UN observers office by imposing restrictions in parts of Srinagar, summer capital of the State, and detaining JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik and placing other separatist leaders under house arrest and detention.
The authorities imposed tough security restrictions in parts of downtown and uptown Srinagar today to foil the UN march called by the separatist leaders against the human rights violations committed by the security forces.
The police and paramilitary personnel had placed barricades and concertina wires in areas falling under nine police stations in Srinagar to maintain law and order and foil protests.
All roads leading to UN office at Sonwar in Srinagar were sealed. A strong contingent of police and CRPF men armed with anti-riot gears was deployed near the UN office to prevent people from reaching there and staging demonstrations there.
The cops had also sealed all the entry and exit points in city centre Lal Chowk to prevent separatists and their supporters from assembling there and marching towards the UN office.
The authorities had placed hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani and moderate Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest. Other top and middle rung separatist leaders and activists were also either placed under house arrest or detention to prevent them from leading or participating in protest march.
However, JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik, who had gone into hiding, surfaced alongwith his supporters at Maisuma area of city this afternoon and attempted to lead a march towards the UN office.
Chanting anti-India and pro-freedom slogans and carrying placards, Malik and his supporters were demanding an end to killings, arrests, and other human rights violations in the State.
A police and CRPF contingent reached the spot and intercepted Malik and his supporters.
They detained Malik alongwith about a dozen of his supporters. They were lodged in Police Station Kothibagh. Later, they were sent to Central jail, Srinagar on a judicial remand till December 16.
The separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik, who have united under the banner of Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), had called for march to UN office on human rights day today.
On their call, Kashmir observed shutdown today.
All shops, business establishments and petrol pumps remained closed while public transport was off the roads.
Meanwhile, the supporters of independent MLA Er Sheikh Abdul Rashid also attempted to take out a protest march from Jawahar Nagar area of Srinagar to Lal Chowk against the human rights violations in Valley.
However, the protestors were intercepted by police contingent near Rajbagh and disallowed to move further. As the MLA and his supporters insisted they be allowed to march ahead, police detained them and lodged them in Police Station Rajbagh. However, they were set free.