High alert sounded in Kashmir ahead of Afzal Guru, Maqbool Butt death anniversaries

Srinagar: The authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have decided to impose security lockdown in parts of summer capital Srinagar and some other towns of the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley on Tuesday when separatist groups have called for a shutdown to commemorate the hanging of Parliament attack convict Muhammad Afzal Guru.

The restrictions are likely to continue through February 11 which is observed as ‘black day" in Kashmir to mark the death anniversary of Muhammad Maqbool Butt, the co-founder of pro-independence Jammu Kashmir National Liberation Front (JKNLF). Butt charged with murder of an Indian intelligence officer Amar Chand in Kashmir way back in mid-1960s was also executed in Delhi Tihar jail in 1984 and like Guru his mortal remains were buried inside the prison premises.

Official sources said that areas falling under police stations of Khanyar, Rainawari, Nowhatta, S.R. Gunj, Safa Kadal and Maisuma in Srinagar will remain under curfew-like restrictions from dawn on Tuesday till further orders. Similar restrictions will be enforced in some other Valley towns and sensitive areas “as precautionary measure.” Various separatist leaders have been detained in police stations or placed under house arrest. However, two key faces of Kashmir’s separatist movement Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq are away in Delhi where the latter on Monday met Pakistan high commissioner Abdul Basit to discuss various issues concerning Kashmir and “express gratitude to the Government of Pakistan for putting in strenuous efforts for resolving Kashmir issue.”

Back in Srinagar, chairman Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Muhammmd Yasin Malik was on Monday sent on judicial remand for seven days by a local court and subsequently shifted to Central Jail, Srinagar. Earlier, police raided the JKLF office in Aabi Guzar locality here and arrested Malik and some of his close associates. The JKLF has planned protests on February 9 and 11 to mark the hanging anniversaries of Butt and Guru.

Meanwhile, security across J&K especially Kashmir Valley has been beefed up further to prevent trouble in next three days. Police and CRPF reinforcements were on Monday evening fanned out to increase physical presence of the uniformed men in streets.

A statement issued by the CRPF here said that the force has been put on high alert in view of shutdown and protest calls issued by separatists. “Taking serious note of regular stone pelting on Fridays and Sundays in downtown Srinagar, the CRPF troops deployed in the City particularly in these areas have been asked to keep close watch on various developments and to maintain an active co-ordination with J&K Police to counter any propaganda or provocation by separatists,” a spokesman of the CRPF said.

CRPF’s DIG (Operations), Sanjeev Dhundia, on Monday reviewed the security situation in central Srinagar and asked the force officers and jawans to remain vigilant and alert and take adequate measures to prevent injuries to CRPF men. “All CRPF camps have been alerted and security has been strengthened and troops have been briefed to be ready to deal with any unforeseen law and order problem without use of lethal weapons,” it said.

Inspector General of CRPF Atul Karwal said he has asked his men “to take effective measures in co-ordination with J&K Police and tackle any sort of protests or stone pelting with minimum use of force”.