SHO injured during clashes in Valley

SRINAGAR: An inspector of Jammu & Kashmir Police was wounded during stone-pelting clashes as Kashmir observed a shutdown on Friday against the killings of civilians and militants in Shopian.

Officials said inspector Manzoor Ahmad, station house officer of Nigeen area in Srinagar, was injured in a stone-pelting incident. “He is being treated in a hospital. We pray for his speedy recovery,” police tweeted.

Meanwhile, Kashmir observed a shutdown amid restrictions by the authorities in some parts of the old city to prevent protests.

Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), including Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik, had called for protests after Friday prayers against killings of civilians and militants during encounters in Shopian on April 1. A shutdown call was given by trade bodies Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation and Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA).

While Geelani and Mirwaiz have been placed under house arrest at their respective residences since Sunday, Malik is in police custody.

Mirwaiz condemned the government’s action of “caging profreedom leaders, disallowing Friday congregational Friday prayers at historic Jamia Masjid”. “The forces are selectively killing Kashmiri youth to intimidate and silence all voices in Kashmir that are demanding their basic right but the fact remains that all these steps are destined to fail or break people’s resolve,” Mirwaiz said in a statement. The statement said that in connection with the JRL’s call for protests, Hurriyat workers and activists took out a protest march at Sajadabad, Chattabal Srinagar.