Thousands of police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force personnel were deployed in the city to enforce restriction in areas falling under police stations of Nowhatta, Khanyar, Rainawari, M.R.Gunj, Safakadal, Soura, Lal Bazzar, Zadibal and Nageen.
The separatists had called for rally at the Eidgah grounds on Saturday to commemorate the death anniversaries two senior slain separatist leaders -- Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Farooq and Abdul Gani Lone.
While Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq, father of moderate APHC chairman Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq was killed inside his house at Nageen on May 21, 1990, Lone was killed by militants in Eidgah while attending the death anniversary rally this day in 2002.
This is for the first time that the authorities are disallowing the Eidgah rally, which was scheduled to be addressed by senior separatist leaders of the moderate APHC.
Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq had also announced that he would lay the foundation stone of the 'martyr's wall' at the Eidgah grounds where both the late Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq and late Abdul Gani Lone are buried.
Authorities had tried to persuade the Mirwaiz to drop the idea of raising the wall in Eidgah. Senior state government officers had met the Mirwaiz yesterday in this connection at his residence.
Officials said the preventive measures had been taken to maintain law and order in the city. Mirwaiz Umar and other separatist leaders were placed under house arrest on Saturday morning. The strike called by the moderate APHC group shut shops, businesses and public transport in capital city and other towns.
