SRINAGAR: Curfew restrictions in Shopian district of south Kashmir were relaxed on Wednesday evening, for the first time since September 11.
A curfew was imposed in the area on September 7 after the CRPF shot dead four youth at Gagren village. It was lifted after four days, but was re-imposed a few hours later as the paramilitaries shot dead another youth.
Officials said curfew ordered were relaxed from 1600 hrs following no reports of violence.
They said the decision about lifting of curfew completely will be taken later tonight, depending upon the overall situation in the town.
As soon as the announcements were made about the relaxation, people rushed out of their homes to purchase essentials.
However, all shops remained closed. But some medical shops opened where a large number of people could be seen purchasing medicine.
A number of roadside vendors could also be seen on streets.
‘Non Serious’
A team of four ministers visited Shopian and held meetings with district administration and others yesterday.
The main opposition PDP has criticised the government saying it was doing “everything to hush up the killing of five innocents” by imposing curfew and restrictions.
“The police has not even entertained the FIR lodged by the father of Tawseef Ahmad, one of the victims of the CRPF carnage,” it said.
The government has initiated a magisterial inquiry into the killings and has also directed that the CRPF personnel in Gagren village be replaced by the state policemen.
The Union Home Minister, Sushil Kumar Shinde has also ordered a detailed inquiry into the killings. However separatists have dismissed the inquiries as eyewash.
Meanwhile no witnesses have turned up to depose before the authorities regarding the killings for two days. Deputy commissioner Shopian had appealed to people to come forward with information, if any.
A local daily even reports that no one will ever do so. It quotes a group of locals saying they feared reprisal from the authorities itself.
Local residents have complained of shortage of essential food items and medicine due to the nearly two-week long clampdown.
A local newspaper quoted a group of residents as saying the government continued the curfew to make them suffer.
“They want to break our resolve and force us to give up our demand for justice to victims but we will not succumb,” one of them, Muzaffar Ahmad, told the newspaper.
