Shutdown in valley on Burhan Wani’s 5th death anniversary

Kashmir valley saw a partial shutdown on July 8, the fifth death anniversary of slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

In Srinagar and some big towns, business establishments were shut and movement of public transport was sparse. Wani and his associates were killed by armed forces in Anantnag district of southern Kashmir in 2016.

Earlier, J&K Police had clarified that the call for strike from a twitter handle named Syed Ali Geelani was fake and warned rumour mongers of stern action.


Meanwhile, the situation in Kashmir continues to be tense. The Lieutenant Governor of J&K chaired a unified command meeting during the day to review the security situation. The meeting was attended by top officials of all wings of army, police, paramilitary and intelligence agencies deployed in the Union Territory.

Since Wednesday, the armed forces had killed five militants in the UT in three separate encounters, including a top commander. Two militants—Kifayat Sofi and Inayat Ahmad Dar of Lashkar-e-Toiba-- were killed in an encounter in Pulwama district, and two others—Shahbaz Ahmad Shah of Jaish e Muhammad and Nasir Ayub Pandit of LeT—were killed in Kulgam district of southern Kashmir.

J&K Police claim that the four militants were locals associated with the LeT and the two from Kulgam were planning a strike on the highway.

Mehraj-ud-din Halwai, another militant commander, was killed in an encounter at his hideout in Handwara area of northern Kashmir. Police claim that Halwai, who was caught during a routine check, attacked armed forces personnel after leading them to his hideout and got killed in the exchange of fire.

Govt Must Revoke All Laws Imposed Since August 2019:
The Hurriyat conference, led by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, stated that the government must revoke all laws imposed since August 5, 2019 aiding demographic change and disempowerment of people.

The Hurriyat demanded immediate release of youth and all political prisoners from jail and house detention to create trust and an atmosphere for the dialogue process. They reiterated that the resolution of the Kashmir conflict could be achieved through dialogue between India and Pakistan and the people of J&K.

“Unilateral decisions of August 5, 2019 has led to the fear of loss of identity among the people of J&K, which is deeply disturbing,” read the statement. “There is also great anguish at the loss of employment guarantees, land rights and exploitation of natural resources by outsiders, post the enactment of these new laws.”

The Hurriyat said that the fast-changing geopolitical reality of the region also points to the need for urgent conflict resolution.

“A thaw in India-Pakistan relations is always a welcome development for the people of J&K, who see it as a harbinger of engagement and dialogue between the two neighbours and the way forward for resolution of the Kashmir dispute,” it read.