PATTAN: The Pattan town in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district commemorated the killing of four youth in police firing on Shab-e- Qadr during the summer unrest of 2010.
Residnets on Monday used loudspeakers to urge people to observe a complete shutdown in the town, where an undeclared curfew is already in force after clashes over the arrest of a local youth.
In 2010, four persons were killed and 12 others injured when police opened fire on protesters at Palhalan and Wussan in Pattan on the eve of Shab-e-Qadar.
That year, 110 youth died in police and paramilitary firing at a series of protests which continued for months.
Recalling the incident, one of the residents of Palhalan told a local news agency CNS that a few protestors threw stones at a passing police cavalcade which retaliated and directly fired upon the protestors killing three youth on spot.
The youth were identified as Mudasir Ahmed Mir son of Mohammad Abdullah resident of Wusaan, Feroz Ahmed Malla son of Abdul Aziz Malla resident of Palhalan and Noor Mohammad Tantray son of Ghulam Nabi Tantray resident of Tantray Palhalan.
The word about the deaths brought hundreds of people from neighbouring villages to Pattan. They staged massive protests raising pro-freedom and anti-India slogans.
Police and CRPF again opened fire killing Muhammad Ramzan Mir, 45, son of Muhammad Sultan Mir of Wassan Khoi on the spot and inuring several others. Mir was a farmer.
In Pattan, a curfew is still in force after violent protests over the arrest of a local youth who leads prayers at a mosque. However the announcement to observe a shutdown was symbolic to mark the death anniversaries.
Senior Superintendent of Police Baramulla, Zubair Ahmed Khan told the agency that there was no curfew.
“They can open shops and resume normal life, but they are observing shutdown against the killing of four youth in 2010 unrest,” he said.
