Lockdown continues in IoK on 75th day

SRINAGAR (92 News) – Normal life continues to remain affected for the 75th straight day, on Friday, in Occupied Kashmir (IoK), due to the Indian military lockdown and suspension of internet and prepaid cellular services. Shop and business establishments continue to remain closed except for few hours in the morning and evening. Private vehicles are plying on the roads but absence of public transport is adding to people’s woes. All educational institutions, including schools, colleges and universities are without students as uncertainty and atmosphere of scare are preventing them to attend the classes. Despite the authorities’ claims that there are no restrictions in any part of the Valley, curbs under Section 144, banning assembly of four or more persons, continue to remain enforced in Srinagar and other towns across the territory. Though the administration says that normalcy has returned to the territory, yet its recent publishing of full page ads in leading Srinagar-based newspapers, asking residents to resume normal life and open their businesses is ample proof that things are not normal in the territory. The occupation authorities are likely to re-impose curfew-like restrictions, today, in the Kashmir Valley to prevent people from holding a march towards the UN office in Srinagar. Call for which has been given by the Resistance Youth League to register protest against Indian occupation and repeal of special status of Kashmir. The restriction will also be intensified to prevent people from staging anti-India demonstrations after Friday prayers. Pertinently, the authorities have not allowed the Friday congregational prayers at any of the major mosques and shrines of the territory since August 05. Earlier, the youth were killed in a fake encounter by the troops during cordon and search operations in Pazalpora area of Islamabad district. The martyred youth have been identified as Nasir Chadro, a resident of Arwani, Aaqib Ahmad Sheikh of Redwani and Zahid Ahmad from Bijbehara. In Occupied Kashmir, a large number of women protesters, including the daughter and the sister of former puppet chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah, were detained in Srinagar during protests against the revocation of Kashmir’s special status during the worst lockdown. Women carrying placards had gathered at the Pratap Park near Srinagar’s Lal Chowk and as they started protesting, the police swooped in on them and detained over a dozen women.