Lal Chowk sealed, JRL’s march foiled, Mirwaiz, Malik detained

Srinagar : The commercial hub Lal Chowk in Srinagar, the summer capital of state was on Tuesday sealed by the authorities to foil the march called by pro-freedom leaders against the killings of seven civilians in a power explosion at gunfight site in Laroo village of South Kashmir’s Kulgam district. All the roads leading towards Ganta Ghar (clock tower) were sealed by the authorities since the morning while as the restrictions were also put in place in Srinagar areas. Four South Kashmir districts observed total shutdown for the second consecutive day and the protests stage a protest against Kulgam killings in Anantnag.
Srinagar areas that witnessed restrictions were falling under the jurisdiction of Maharaj Gunj Safa Kadal, Khanyar, Nowhatta, Rainawari, Maisuma, Kral Khud and Shaheed Gunj police stations with locals claiming that the forces in large number were deployed in the restriction bound areas here to thwart any possible protest called by the JRL comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik. In view of the Lal Chowk chalo call, the traffic police Srinagar city had also issued traffic advisor for the general public, asking commuters to use an alternate route as “the stretch of road from Amira Kadal to Regal Chowk will be blocked for traffic”.However, the concertina wires were erected on the roads from Amir Kadal to Regal Chowk stretch.
Meanwhile, Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF chief, Muhammad Yasin Malik were detained by the police after they tried to march towards Lal chowk here on JRL’s call.Mirwaiz who defied the house detention and tried to march towards Lal chowk was detained by the police following which he was again placed under house detention at his Nigeen residence. Malik who had gone into hiding appeared in a local Masjid in the wee hours of this morning to lead a protest march Tuesday was also detained by the police in Koker Bazar area here when he tried to carry out a protest march against Kulgam killings.
Meanwhile complete shutdown continued in south Kashmir districts of Kulgam, Anantnag, Pulwama and Shopian on Tuesday against the killings of seven civilians at the site of a gunfight in Laroo village on Sunday.
Reports said all shops and other business establishments remained closed in these districts while public transport was off the roads. Seven civilians were killed and several others wounded in a blast at the site of a gunfight in Laroo village on Sunday morning. The Bar association Anantnag held a protest against the civilian killings at the main town. Traders also held a protest demonstration against the killings. The JRL had appealed people to observe sit in protest Tuesday at Lal Chowk against Kulgam incident in which seven civilians lost their lives after an explosion at encounter site in Laroo village of Kulgam district on Sunday.