Minor clashes erupted in the Nawa Bazar area of Srinagar’s downtown area in Kashmir on Thursday evening after the restrictions were lifted in the area.
Eyewitnesses said that several youth gathered in the Nawa Bazar area shouting slogans in support of Hurriyat leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
The police fired several rounds of tear smoke shells to disperse the protesters, they told The Kashmiriyat.
People in groups of two to four are visiting the grave of Syed Ali Shah Geelani who was laid to rest at 3:30 AM on Thursday in Hyderpora area of Srinagar.
The deceased leader was 92 and passed away after a prolonged illness on Wednesday at around 1020 PM.
Immediately after his demise, restrictions were imposed by the administration in the valley and communication including phone lines and internet services were snapped.
The DIG North Kashmir has appealed to the people of North Kashmir “not to panic and avoid their movement towards Srinagar”.
“In the view of death of Senior Hurriyat leader, the public of North Kashmir is requested not to panic, Pls avoid movement towards Srinagar. Appeal public to keep calm, and stay inside their houses and pray for the departed soul,” he said.
Throughout the day, the forces were seen manning the streets. Reports from South Kashmir say that curfew like restrictions were placed in various parts of the region.
“Public movement was largely curtailed, people were barely allowed to move, which caused a huge impact on health and other essential services,” Waris Shah Reported from Anantnag district of South Kashmir.
Danishwar Hameed, who reports for The Kashmiriyat from Kulgam district reported that all the entry and exit points into the district headquarters were sealed. “Only emergency and govt employees were allowed to move,” he reported.
In Kulgam, special prayers were held for he deceased Hurriyat leader in various mosques.
From Srinagar, Irshad Hussain reported that most of the streets in Srinagar’s uptown area were silent. “Nobody is out on the streets, people are just grieving. The communication lockdown too has caused panic among residents,” he reported.
Mehran Bhat who is a Photojournalist from Srinagar for The Kashmiriyat reported that people were seen facing hurdles for making basic movements. Mehran said, “Concertina wires had been placed in most parts of the capital city. Only People in emergency were allowed to make movements after being asked to display their identity cards.”
The official account of Department of Information and Public Relations also did not update the covid status for the region.
No information was available on the DIPR handle. The last update was made on the handle more than 24 hours ago.
Most of The Kashmiriyat reporters remained out of bounds today as the administration imposed a ban on calling and internet services.