Life was affected in Kashmir valley on Monday due to a shutdown called by traders, transporters and resistance leadership against “high-handedness” of the National Investigation Agency.
All shops and other commercial establishments are closed in business hub of Lal Chowk in Srinagar while public transport remained mostly off the roads. However, private transport was plying normally.
Life remained affected in Downtown Srinagar where restrictions have been placed by the authorities to prevent any protests.
Traders and transporters have called for Kashmir Bandh today to protest against the NIA notice to Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF) Yasin Khan who has been summoned to Delhi today.
Joint Resistance Leadership of Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik have supported the strike call.
They claimed that New Delhi was using NIA as a “war weapon” against Kashmiris.
Meanwhile, Joint separatist leadership comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik on Sunday extended its support to the shutdown called by traders and transporters on September 25 (Monday) against the NIA summon to a Kashmiri business leader Muhammad Yaseen Khan and others.
“New Delhi is using the National Investigation Agency as a war weapon to harass oppressed and suppressed people of the state,” the leadership said in a joint statement.
Criticising the Enforcement Directorate for filing a chargesheet against Shabir Ahmad Shah, the three leaders termed it as “sheer political vendetta.” The trio criticised the NIA for issuing notices and summoning the traders’ leader Muhammad Yaseen Khan, Haji GhulamNabi, Agha Syed Hassan, Kashmir University scholar Aala Fazili, Dr Naeem Geelani, Dr Naseem Geelani, photograph journalists (sic), Tehreek-e-Hurriyat leader Shah Wali Muhammad, advocate Mian Abdul Qayoom, Muhammad Shafi Rishi, Noor Muhammad Kalwal and university students.
“The NIA is framing fabricated cases against pro-freedom leaders to defame the freedom movement as part of pre-planned psychological crackdown so that they (leadership and activists) surrender and stop voicing the sentiments of their nation,” the leaders said.
“The NIA has launched unfounded campaign against every section of the society and its main aim is to harass people on one pretext or the other. Since last seven decades, the state is facing suppression and oppression, unleashed by Indian forces. However, people are politically mature enough and realise the follies played by the Indian authorities,” they said.
The leadership said that during their raids, though the NIA didn’t get any “objectionable material”, the Hurriyat leaders, including Shabir Ahmad Shah, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Ayaz Akbar, Shahid-ul-Islam, Pir Saifullah, Raja Meraj-u-din Kalwal, Nayem Ahmed Khan, Farooq Ahmed Dar, Zahoor Ahmad Watali and Kamran Yousuf were arrested and lodged in Tihar jail.
“Mehbooba Mufti (Chief Minister) has declared war on people. She in league with authorities in New Delhi is hell bent to create graveyard-like silence in the state. They have launched character assassination campaign against leadership and as such services of its media has created hype to justify the genocide of people in the state,” the leaders added.
“The defamation campaign and implicating leadership in false and fabricated cases can’t deter us or dampen freedom sentiments of people. Instead, this psychological crackdown will rejuvenate the freedom sentiments of people,” they said.
Terming these “war tactics” as “failure steps”, they said, “they failed in the past and won’t yield any result in future too. Kashmir is a political and human issue, and its political solution is inevitable.” Criticising authorities for their “stubborn attitude”, the leadership said that “coercion and force were used to solve this issue, however history stands witness to the fact that not an iota of change was observed instead it has always remained a big obstacle and hindrance for peace, stability and prosperity in entire subcontinent.”
Rail services have again been suspended in the Kashmir valley for security reasons following strike called by traders and transporters and supported by the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) in protest against summoning of more people by National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the funding.
According to a senior official, a fresh advisory was received last night from the civil administration and police in this regard.
Therefore, there would be no train run between Srinagar-Budgam to Baramulla. Similarly, no train will chug on Srinagar-Anantnag-Qazigund to Banihal route today. Decision to resume train service tomorrow will depend upon the advisory from the police later in the day, he said.
Restrictions in Downtown areas today
The government on Sunday decided to impose restrictions in some Downtown Srinagar on Monday as a “precautionary measure.”
According to official sources, restrictions will be imposed in areas falling under jurisdiction of five police stations that include Mahraj Gunj, Rainawari, Khanyar, SafaKadal and Nowhatta.
“The decision has been taken in view of the strike call given by the traders and transporters and supported by the separatists also,” an official said.
