Restrictions continue in Srinagar, four districts in Valley

SRINAGAR: Normal life continued to remain paralysed for the third consecutive day today in violence-hit Kashmir Valley due to curfew-like restrictions and separatists-sponsored strike following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter on Friday.

Strict restrictions on movement of people remain in place in Srinagar and four districts of south Kashmir since Saturday morning.

Officials said that the measure has been taken to maintain law and order in the Valley. However, the situation will be reviewed later in the day and a decision taken on whether to continue with the restrictions.

Meanwhile, the strike, called by the separatist groups, also affected the normal life in the Valley.

Shops, private offices, business establishments and petrol pumps were shut, while government offices and banks witnessed thin attendance, the officials said.

They said public transport was completely off the roads for the third day, while private cars and auto-rickshaws were seen plying at few places in the areas where there were no restrictions.

Educational institutions in the Valley were closed on account of the ongoing summer vacations, while Central University of Kashmir (CUK), Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) and Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) have postponed the examinations due to the prevailing situation.

The separatist groups earlier on Friday had called for a one-day strike following Wani's killing. The strike was then extended for two more days to protest the killings of civilians duing protests.

Most of the separatist leaders, including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik, are either in custody or under house arrest.