Curfew lifted; normal life resumes in Kashmir Valley

Srinagar, Oct 7 (PTI) Normal life resumed in Kashmir
Tuesday after authorities lifted the two-day-old curfew from
all 10 districts of the Valley as the situation remained
peaceful during the restriction period, official sources said.

Curfew was imposed in Kashmir Valley from Saturday
midnight "to prevent any loss of life or property" in the wake
of separatist leaders' call for a march to Lal Chowk yesterday
in support of their demand for right to self determination.

The decision to lift the curfew from 5 am Tuesday was
taken by the state government after reviewing the situation in
the valley Monday after huge deployment of security forces and
sealing of entry and exit points in the city foiled the march,
they said.

The authorities decided to withdraw the curfew keeping in
mind the difficulties faced by the people, sources said.

As soon as the police vans fitted with public address
systems announced lifting of curfew, residents across the city
came out of their homes to buy groceries and other essential
items.

They said schools, colleges, offices, shops and business
establishments also opened after remaining closed for two days
on account of curfew.

Barring a couple of incidents of violation, the curfew
period passed off peacefully. There were stray incidents of
protests in Baramulla town and stonepelting in some parts of
downtown city Monday.

The Coordination Committee, an amalgam of separatist
groups including both factions of Hurriyat Conference and
Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (J.K.L.F.), Monday night
asked people to resume normal activities from Tuesday.

A fresh meeting of the separatist leaders would be held
Wednesday to firm up the next course of action, sources said.

The Coordination Committee leaders asked students to
appear in examinations, farmers to attend their crops and
business community to resume their normal activities.

The people-friendly measures came after villagers in
three areas - Pahalgam, Kokernag and Sri Gufwara - shouted
slogans against the coordination committee for disrupting
normal life regularly.

The call for normalisation was also made after business
community expressed displeasure as a 15-member delegation of
Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir Chamber of Commerce is expected to
visit the Valley later this week to finalise the cross-L.o.C.
trade between two parts of Kashmir.