Curfew continues for 10th day in Kashmir

Srinagar, July 17 (IANS) Strict curfew continued for the 10th day on Sunday in the Kashmir Valley, police said.

"Curfew shall continue in all the ten districts of the Valley," a senior police official said.

"Security forces have been instructed to allow movement of patients along with their attendants."

"People going to the airport will not face any hardship as air tickets were being treated as curfew passes," the official added.

The death toll in the ongoing violence reached 41 after an unruly mob torched a police picket in north Kashmir's Kupwara district on Saturday. Police opened fire at the mob resulting in the death of a youth.

All vernacular and English dailies suspended publication for the second day on Sunday.

State government officials said newspaper owners were asked to suspend publications till July 19.

Cable television operations were allowed on Saturday evening after remaining suspended for a day.

The resumption of cable television operations was allowed after the operators agreed to take off all Pakistani TV channels and two private Indian channels.

Mobile phone internet and call operations remained suspended in south Kashmir areas for the eighth day while the same remained suspended for the second day in central and north Kashmir areas on Sunday.

Mobile phone operations without any internet facility are, however, continuing on post paid mobile phones provided by the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).

Train services between north Kashmir Baramulla and Bannihal town in the Jammu region also remained suspended.

All recruitment interviews scheduled for the next four days have been cancelled by the state public service commission (PSC).

All schools, colleges and universities in the Valley were also shut down.

Senior separatist leaders including Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmad Shah and others have been either placed under house arrest or taken into preventive custody to restrain them from participating in protests.

Separatists have appealed the people to continue the shutdown till Monday.

The shutdown in the Valley started on July 9 following the death of Hizbul Mujahideen commander, Burhan Wani in a gunfight with the security forces on July 8.