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Army patrols on Kashmir streets

As Kashmir remains on the brink, the Centre is rushing almost 800 personnel of Central security forces to the state to maintain law and order even as curfew was clamped in more areas of the valley which witnessed stray attempts at violence as the Army carried out a flag march in Srinagar for the second day today.

According to sources, the eight companies drawn from Central Reserve Police Force and Border Security Forces will be sent in a day or two to the Kashmir valley.

On Thursday, the army conducted flag marches in sensitive areas of the capital on Thursday afternoon to assist the civil administration in the enforcement of the curfew imposed in the early hours of Wednesday.
 
The army was called in after large-scale violence claimed four lives on Tuesday.

Text: Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

Army flag-marches through Kashmir streets

The trouble on Tuesday erupted in the Gangbugh area of the city after the body of a teenager was fished out from a stream, with the locals alleging he had been forcibly drowned by the security forces while chasing stone pelters.
 
The violence that followed the recovery of the body left three persons including a woman dead and over 70 injured.

Kashmir on the edge

Union Home Secretary G K Pillai, who returned to New Delhi on Thursday morning, reviewed the overall situation with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and senior civil, police and paramilitary officers.
 
A senior police officer said more companies of the CRPF were on their way to Kashmir to strength the security apparatus. 

Kashmir on the edge

he state authorities have cancelled all the curfew passes including those issued to the journalists. Due to the cancellations, even local newspapers didn't hit the stands today morning.
 
The cancellation of the curfew passes has also hit essential services including power, water supply and hospitals.

Kashmir on the edge

Srinagar residents are facing acute shortages of essential commodities due to continued curfew restrictions.
 
Meanwhile, the state police arrested the president of the Kashmir Bar Association Mian Abdul Quyoom under the harsh Public Safety Act on Wednesday.

Kashmir on the edge

In a sharp reaction to the deployment of the army, chairman of the moderate All Parties Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq said that 'military measures will in no way be able to break the will and resolve of the people as has been proved beyond doubt time and again in the last six decades'.

"Unfortunately, the army has always been India's first and last resort in handling Kashmir," the Mirwaiz said in a statement.

Omar convenes all-party meet

Worried, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has convened an all party meeting on Monday to discuss the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting, which will take place on July 12 afternoon, will be preceded by another meeting of legislators of coalition partners National Conference and Congress on Sunday.

Omar reviews the situation

Omar Abdullah today reviewed the situation with senior officials of the bureaucracy and police and discussed the possibility of curfew relaxation tomorrow because of Friday prayers and for Shab-e-Mehraj, a religious function, on Saturday.

On-the-spot assessment on Friday

It was decided that an on-the-spot assessment would be made on Friday depending upon the law and order situation in
the area, official sources said, adding they also discussed whether to continue flag marches by the army or not.

Centre sends a tough message

In a related development, the Centre has sent out a tough message that "anti-nationals and vested interests" creating unrest in the valley would be dealt with sternly.

Kashmir stays indoors

The curfew restrictions forced the local media persons to stay indoors. Newspapers may not hit the stands tomorrow
for the second day.

Kashmir under security blanket

In New Delhi, Home Minister P Chidambaram hoped Army would not be required for too long in the Valley and appealed to the people there to observe restrictions.