Srinagar, Aug 31: The entire Kashmir valley observed a complete shutdown on the second consecutive day on Friday due to a protest shutdown to voice support for Article 35A.
Joint Hurriyat leadership of Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik called a complete shutdown on Friday to highlight the support for the Article.
All shops, public transport, other businesses and educational institutions remained closed in Srinagar and other places in the valley.
Attendance in government offices, banks and post offices was almost zero because of non-availability of public transport in the city and other districts of the valley.
Post-graduate entrance exams too were rescheduled because of the shutdown. Rail services between Baramulla and Bannihal towns were also suspended for the second consecutive day.
Authorities imposed restrictions in several areas — Khanyar, Rainawari, Nowhatta, M.R.Gunj, Safa Kadal, Kralkhud and Maisuma to maintain law and order, police said.
Heavy deployments of police and paramilitary forces were made in areas placed under restrictions and other law and order sensitive places in the Valley.
Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq slammed the authorities for locking down the historic Jamia Masjid on the eleventh Friday and said: “these repressive measures will only strengthen their resolve to freedom.”
Taking to a social networking site twitter Mirwaiz wrote: “11th Friday’s so far this year of lockdown of #JamaMasjid by imposing curfew & restrictions barring Muslims from offering Juma prayers there! These repressive measures will only strengthen our re solve to freedom not weaken on us.”
Article 35A of the Constitution empowers the Jammu and Kashmir legislature to define the states ‘permanent residents’ and their special rights.
It has been challenged in the Supreme Court through a bunch of petitions being heard by a three-judge bench on Friday.
