Normal life disrupted as curfew enters in 88th day in IoK

SRINAGAR (92 News) – Normal life remains disrupted as curfew and military clampdown entered 88th straight day, on Thursday in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IoK). According to the KMS, the landline and postpaid mobile phone services have been partially restored across the territory, all internet services and prepaid phone connectivity continue to remain suspended badly affecting people especially professionals, students, patients, doctors and media persons. Restrictions under Section 144 are also in place. Public transport is off the roads and train service too remains suspended. Barring opening of shops for few morning hours, business activities continue to remain crippled. Offices and educational institutions witness very thin attendance. However, students are turning up to appear for the annual board examinations for class 10 and class 12 which began on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. On the other hand, in an event of far-reaching consequences, occupied Kashmir was officially split into two union territories at midnight Wednesday against the wishes of the people of the territory and in breach of international laws and India’s own constitution. Indian Administrative Service Officers, Girish Chandra Murmu and RK Mathur, who have been appointed the new Lieutenant Governors for the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh respectively, will be sworn in at separate functions in Srinagar and Leh today by the Chief Justice of the High Court of occupied Kashmir, Gita Mittal. The Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M) in a statement issued in New Delhi termed as shameful the decision to formally declare separation of Ladakh from Jammu and Kashmir with effect from today. It said that the territory was divided without taking the opinion of its citizens and reiterated its strong opposition to the abrogation of Article 370. A day earlier, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred a Kashmiri youth. The troops martyred the youth in a fake encounter during a cordon and search operation in Bijbehara area of the district during curfew. On the other hand, Indian troops resorted to indiscriminate firing after an army bunker was attacked by unidentified gunmen in Drubgam area of Pulwama district. The troops cordoned off the area and launched searches to nab the attackers.