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| India-Pakistan |
| Curfew in Srinagar; Hurriyat leader dies in police firing |
| 2008-08-11 |
| SRINAGAR: Hurriyat Conference leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz was on Monday killed in police firing in Baramulla district, as a result of which curfew was clamped in the region. Earlier in the day, two persons were killed and 150 others injured in police firing and clashes between security forces and protesters who tried to march towards Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to end the "economic blockade" of the Valley in the wake of Amarnath land stir. Police fired in the air on Monday to thwart a bid by fruit growers to march towards Muzaffarabad. Police deflated tyres of 200 trucks carrying fruits in Sopore town and used tear gas shells to disperse the agitating fruit growers trying to take out a cavalcade march towards the PoK capital, official sources said. As the fruit growers refused to give in, police and paramilitary forces fired in the air to bring the situation under control, they said. More than 100 fruit growers were detained. Curfew was imposed along a 40-km stretch on Srinagar- Muzaffarabad road from Sheeri to Uri in Baramulla district to prevent thousands of marchers from defying restrictions and crossing the Line of Control, official sources said. While a youth, Tahir Ahmad Lone was killed in police firing in Sangrama in Baramulla, one Ishfaq Ahmad died when police opened fire in Qamarwari in Srinagar city, they said. Police also opened fire in Kakpura in Pulwama district and in Shirmal in Shopian but no one was killed. More than 150 people have been injured in the firing and clashes across the Valley, they said. The protesters turned violent after police firing in Sangrama and set afire two police vehicles, reports reaching here said. Protests were also held in Kulgam, Handwara and Uri towns. Kashmir Fruit Growers Association, Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Traders Federation, both factions of Hurriyat Conference and the PDP had given a call for 'Muzaffarabad chalo' to neutralise the economic blockade of the Valley "enforced" by the agitators in Jammu region. Top separatist leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and PDP leaders Abdul Aziz Zargar, Dilawar Mir and Nizamuddin Bhat were placed under house arrest last night to ensure that the proposed march does not materialise, the sources said. Separatist leaders Zaffar Akbar Bhat, Mushtaqul Islam and Shakeel Ahmad Bakshi were picked up by the police from different places in the Valley, they said. Police and CRPF personnel were deployed in large numbers all along the roads leading towards Baramulla and Uri townships. |
| Posted by:john frum |