Srinagar: After nearly a week, curfew was on Sunday lifted in the entire Kashmir valley in view of the situation remaining generally peaceful, but prohibitory orders have been imposed in Baramulla, Anantnag and Pulwama districts besides some parts of Srinagar, officials said.
The situation was generally peaceful barring a few incidents where small groups of people came out and shouted slogans and threw stones at the security forces, they said.
"Curfew has been lifted from the valley. However, there are prohibitory orders in some parts of the city as well as in some other districts," Inspector General Kashmir Region,
Farooq Ahmad told a news agency.
The authorities relaxed curfew in Sopore in North Kashmir from 7 am to 11 am and later extended the relaxation period indefinitely as there was no untoward incident. Shops opened there despite a strike call given by hardline Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
Some youths came out in Maisuma and Nowhatta areas of Srinagar city but they were chased away by the police.
Orders banning assembly of people have been enforced in Pulwama, Anantnag and Baramulla districts. Besides, downtown areas of Srinagar, Maisuma, Batamaloo and Nowhatta too are under such restrictions.
Local newspapers failed to hit the stands for the fourth day this morning despite authorities lifting restrictions on movement of mediapersons. Some media associations have alleged that adequate number of curfew passes had not been issued. Media persons had also staged a demonstration yesterday.
Authorities continued to clamp down on the stone-pelters and picked up another 12 people including Farooq Ahmed of Narbal who was alleged to be the main instigator of violence in Sopore.
In the morning, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his father Farooq Abdullah offered prayers at the graveyard of Begum Akbar Jahan, wife of Sheikh Abdullah, on her death
anniversary. They were accompanied by a few hundred people at the graveyard on the banks of Dal Lake in Hazratbal.
The chief minister also held a meeting with MLAs and MLCs of the coalition government.
Curfew was clamped in Srinagar on Tuesday and Army was called out to assist the civil administration in maintaining law and order after escalation in violence in the valley.
Omar has convened an all-party meeting in Srinagar tomorrow to discuss the present situation. The invitation was extended to all 12 recognised political parties and groups.
Peoples Democratic Party and Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party have so far said they will stay away from the meeting dubbing it as a "purposeless exercise".
PTI
