SRINAGAR: Normal life in strife-torn Kashmir was disrupted on Thursday by the shutdown called by separatist leaders against the killing of senior journalist Syed Shujaat Bukhari and civilians in the northern state.
Shops, business establishments, petrol pumps and educational institutions remained closed in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley and work in government offices and banks remained affected due to the strike. Public transport was off the roads and only private vehicles and three wheelers were plying.
Train services between Baramulla and Banihal were suspended by Northern Railways as a precautionary measure.
The authorities had deployed police and paramilitary personnel in strength in sensitive areas of Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir to maintain law and order and foil protests.
JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik was detained by police from his residence at Maisuma in uptown Srinagar. He was lodged at police Station Kothi Bagh as a precautionary measure.
Authorities also placed separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai and others under house arrest to prevent them from leading rallies or protests against Shujaat’s murder on June 14. Shujaat’s killing has been widely condemned and media bodies and other groups have demanded an impartial probe into the incident.
Police has blamed militants for killing and released a CCTV grab of three suspected militants fleeing on a motor bike. However, the militant groups Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Toiba have condemned the killing and denied their involvement. Police has not made any breakthrough into the case in the week.
NSG to be deployed in anti-terror ops in J&K soon Meanwhile, the elite National Security Guards are likely to be deployed soon in counter-militancy operations in J&K which was placed under Governor’s rule on Wednesday, officials said.
They said a NSG team has been stationed in the Kashmir Valley for quite sometime and is undergoing rigorous training on the outskirts of the city.