Kashmir under curfew for second day; situation peaceful

Srinagar, Oct 6 (PTI) Kashmir remained under curfew for
the second consecutive day Monday with police and paramilitary
forces deployed heavily in the Valley to thwart any attempt by
separatists to hold a protest march to Lal Chowk here.

Barring minor incidents of slogan shouting by groups of
people that gathered in old Baramulla town late Sunday night,
the situation in the entire Valley was peaceful and there was
been no report of any violent incident.

Some of the local newspapers, including the largest
circulated daily "Greater Kashmir", failed to hit the stands
as publishers decided not to print them accusing the
government of not providing enough curfew passes to their
staff, a charge denied by the government.

A virtual siege was laid around Lal Chowk as a large
posse of gun-toting security personnel took up position in and
around the area. All entry and exit points in Srinagar city
have been sealed.

There were some sporadic protests when the paramilitary
forces refused to entertain curfew passes. However, the issue
was resolved later.

The new anti-riot vehicles, procured by the Jammu and
Kashmir Police recently, were positioned at strategic
locations, specially those which had witnessed violence
earlier.

"Due to indefinite curfew imposed by the authorities in
Srinagar and elsewhere in Kashmir and the government's failure
to provide adequate number of curfew passes to our staff,
distributors and hawkers, the print edition of Greater Kashmir
and Kashmir Uzma will not hit the stands on Monday," the
Greater Kashmir said in a statement.

However, a government spokesman said enough passes had
been provided to all newspapers and in some cases vehicles
passes have also issued to ferry their staff members.

A private television channel -- Sen T.V.-- was banned for
allegedly inciting people to disturb public peace and
tranquility.

The curfew comes in the wake of Lal Chowk Chalo march
call given by Coordination Committee, a separatist
conglomerate, to press for its demands which include opening
of Line of Control (L.o.C.) roads for trade, release of all
detainees and revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act
(A.F.S.P.A.).

A number of separatist leaders including Jammu and
Kashmir Liberation Front (J.K.L.F.) leader Yaseen Malik were
put under preventive custody. Hardline separatist leader Syed
Ali Shah Geelani was shifted to a hospital after he complained
of pain in lower abdomen.

Among those placed under house arrest were Chairman of
moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umer
Farooq, Jamiat-e-Ahl-e-Hadith chief Maulana Showkat besides
senior separatist leaders Abdul Gani Bhat, Bilal Lone and
Sajjad Lone.

Police had launched a manhunt for Nayeem Khan, a
separatist leader. A number of separatist leaders -- Shabir
Shah, Masarat Alam and Asiya Andrabi -- have been arrested
earlier.