Srinagar: The streets in Srinagar presented a desolate look on Friday as government restrictions continued on second straight day over the death of veteran Kashmiri separatist SAS Geelani.
Very little transport, mostly vehicles from police and paramilitary, plied on the roads as men from police and paramilitary stood behind plastic barricades and mesh of razor wires to maintain order. There was a near-total communication blackout as only landline and BSNL calling were functional.
The Kashmir valley woke up to a communication blackout and restrictions imposed on the movement by the armed forces after Syed Ali Shah Geelani passed away at his home on Wednesday night. By Thursday morning, police and paramilitary were seen everywhere, on district and town road networks, junctions, market squares to prevent people from collecting at Geelani’s Haiderpora residence.
Dilbag Singh, Jammu and Kashmir director general of police, said the situation is under control and for the last two days not a single untoward incident has been reported. “We are reviewing the communication suspension by evening and it would be restored shortly,” he told reporters in Baramulla.
Geelani was the senior-most pro-Pakistan leader to remain under house arrest since more than 11 years.
The Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC), one of the principal organs of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), on Thursday condemned India’s “denial of right to choose burial rites and site” of the veteran Kashmiri leader.
“OIC-IPHRC strongly condemns action of Indian government to deny right to choose burial rites and site for Syed Ali Shah Geelani, an iconic Kashmiri leader, who for over seven decades peacefully supported human rights and freedoms of Kashmiri Muslims including their right to self determination as enshrined UNSC Resolutions,” the organisation tweeted.
Geelani’s family had said that the they were not allowed to participate in the funeral and that the body was forcibly snatched from them by the police.
The Inspector General of Jammu Kashmir Police for Kashmir Range, Vijay Kumar, on Thursday refuted the allegations made by Geelani’s family and said that police only facilitated in bringing the body of the deceased leader from his house to the graveyard.
Geelani was 92. He succumbed to prolonged illness at his residence in Srinagar’s Hyderpora.
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