Shutdown, curfew ahead of hearing on Article 35-A cripples normal life across Kashmir

Srinagar, Feb 24: A shutdown called by Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik ahead of hearing on Article 35-A and strict curfew enforced by law enforcement agencies on Sunday hit normal life across Kashmir.
Reports said all shops, business establishments are closed and traffic is off the roads.
Heavy deployments of police and paramilitaries in sensitive and super sensitive parts of Srinagar city and major towns of Kashmir valley are keeping a vigil on the movement of the people forcing them to stay indoors.
Mobile internet services have been reduced to 2G connectivity and train services have been also suspended.
Kashmir on Saturday went into a state of chaos soon after rumours about the scrapping of Article 35-A and safety of top separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah spread across the nook and corner of Kashmir valley and arrival of 100 companies of central forces gripped panic in valley.
As reported already the arrest of JKLF chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr Mohammad Fayaz and a dozens of Jamaat activists on Saturday trigerred clashes in several parts of Srinagar city and other parts of Kashmir Valley. The arrests of Yasin Malik and Jamaat cadres evoked serious criticism and condemnation from both separatist and mainstream leaders incuding Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, former chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah, PC chairman Sajad Gani Lone, PDF chairman Hakim Mohammad Yaseen, CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami and DPN president Ghulam Hassan Mir.