SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday foiled “Shopian March” called by the separatists against civilian killings by security men by imposing curfew-like restrictions in parts of Srinagar and south Kashmir and detaining moderate separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik.
The police and paramilitary personnel were deployed in strength in parts of downtown and uptown Srinagar and Shopian in south Kashmir early this morning to enforce curfew-like restrictions.
The restrictions were imposed to foil the “Shopian March” called by separatists against five civilian killings by security men in Shopian last week. Of the five civilians, three were killed in army firing in Ganowpora village of Shopian on Saturday last.
The security men had placed barricades and concertina wires on roads to restrict movement of people.
Police detained separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq after he defied house arrest restrictions and tried to move out of his Nageen residence in Srinagar to march towards Shopian.
He was lodged in police station Nageen and later released in the evening.
The security men had also sealed all the roads leading to Jamia Masjid in downtown Srinagar and did not allow people to offer Friday prayers in the historic mosque.
The hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani was placed under house arrest at His Hyderpora residence.
However, JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik gave slip to security men and managed to reach Shopian despite restrictions in the south Kashmir district.
He addressed the Friday prayers in Jamia Masjid, Shopoian and slammed the civilian killings in Valley. He blamed mainstream parties for these killings saying they have passed AFSA-like laws in the State Assembly to give impunity to security personnel.
When he moved out of the mosque after offering the Friday prayers to stage sit-in in the town, he was detained by security personnel.
Other second rung separatist leaders and separatist activists were either detained or placed under house arrest to prevent them from marching towards Shopian.
Former Chief Minister and opposition National Conference working president Omar Abdullah today demanded that the government should constitute a SIT to probe civilian killings in Shopian.
Police has registered an FIR against army and named the officer, who was leading the army men who fired on civilian in Ganowpora village of Shopian on Saturday last in which three youth were killed.
The government has also ordered magisterial probe into the incident and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has asserted that probe in the killings would be taken to logical conclusion.