Lifting of Section 144 eases tensions in Kashmir Valley

People board a bus as they leave the region during restrictions in Srinagar, on Wednesday. Pic/PTI

Srinagar: After being confined to their homes for days, people in Kashmir offered Friday prayers in their local mosques as restrictions were eased for the purpose, an official statement said, adding the Valley was largely peaceful barring minor incidents of stone-pelting in the apple-town of Sopore in north Kashmir. Schools and colleges can open from August 10, read an order from District Magistrate Sushma Chauhan. "The order No. DCJ/PS/2019/376-407 dated 05-08-2019 issued under Section 144 CrPC within municipal limits of Jammu district is hereby withdrawn," the order said.

People, who were virtually kept indoors because of heavy security deployment in the wake of removal of special status for Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and bifurcation of the state, were allowed to go to mosques in their localities without being asked any questions by security personnel. With no untoward incident, the situation, as of now, was reported to be fine in Srinagar city and south Kashmir, officials said, but added that reports from all areas were yet to arrive.

The officials said there were minor incidents of stone-pelting in Sopore town of north Kashmir, but was contained immediately and the crowd dispersed. Restrictions were eased to allow people in Kashmir offer Friday prayers in local mosques, officials said, as security forces were put on high alert across the Valley in an apparent move to prevent possible protests.

Terrorists being shifted to high-security jails

Many terrorists and separatist leaders, lodged in various jails of J&K were planning to launch violent protests across the Valley, post-revocation of Article 370. On specific intelligence inputs, over 100 such prisoners have been shifted from jails of Srinagar, Kathua and Jammu, to central jails in UP and Haryana.

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