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Northern Command chief Lt Gen Devraj Anbu (left) arrives in Srinagar on Friday. Tribune Photo

Ehsan Fazili

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 30

Protests were held at different places after Friday prayers in Kashmir, leading to clashes between protesters and the police while normal life was paralysed across the Valley today on the separatists’ bandh call against identity certificates to West Pakistan refugees (WPRs).Protests that sparked clashes between the protesters and the police took place after the congregational Friday prayers in the Nowhatta area of downtown Srinagar, where the Jamia Masjid is located. Youths agitating against the grant of identity certificates to WPRs indulged in stone-throwing on the police and CRPF men deployed in the area, leading to the clashes. The police resorted to cane-charge and lobbed teargas shells to quell the demonstrators. The vehicular and pedestrian movement towards Jamia Masjid was also restricted.Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq criticised the move to disallow people from reaching there and thwart the “peaceful protests” against the “domicile rights to WPRs and using the judiciary to subvert the Kashmir dispute.”In south Kashmir, JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik was detained by the police while leading demonstrations in Pulwama town after the Friday prayers. The police lobbed teargas shells to quell the demonstrators. Earlier, Malik gave the slip to the police and reached Pulwama town to lead the demonstrations against the identity certificates to the WPRs.The police lobbed teargas shells to quell demonstrators after the Friday prayers in Sopore town of Baramulla district in north Kashmir. Reports said groups of youths, protesting over the WPRs’ issue, indulged in stone-throwing on the police personnel, leading to clashes.Normal life was paralysed across the Valley on the first day of the bandh call given jointly by the separatist leaders, as per the fortnight-long protest calendar that comes to an end tomorrow. The separatist leadership had also called for protest programmes after the Friday prayers today against the issuance of identity certificates to the refugees.All shops and business establishments were closed and normal traffic was off the roads in Srinagar and other major towns of the Valley. However, private vehicles and autorickshaws were plying normally in the major towns and several areas of the Valley.Northern Command chief reviews security

Srinagar: Northern Command chief Lt Gen D Anbu arrived in Srinagar ON Friday on a two-day visit to review the prevailing security situation in Kashmir. Lt General Anbu along with Srinagar-based Chinar Corps commander Lt Gen JS Sandhu visited forward areas on Friday where he was briefed by local commanders about the existing security situation and the measures taken to ensure close coordination with all government agencies for maintaining vigil and peace in the Valley, an Army spokesman said. Expressing satisfaction over the synergetic conduct of the entire security apparatus, the Army commander stressed the need to continue it and asked the forces to take necessary steps to ensure adequate domination and security of the lines of communication so as to keep them open and safe for the public, he said. Lt General Anbu will visit forward areas on Saturday and interact with troops deployed on the Line of Control. — TNS

Separatists release ‘protest calendar’

Srinagar: As the “protest calendar” for the current fortnight ends on Saturday, the separatists on Friday announced to extend the protest programme for the next fortnight from January 1 to 15, which is a repeat of the previous calendar. According to the new schedule there will be shutdown on Fridays and Saturdays, with a full-day relaxation of five days each during the next two weeks from Sundays to Thursdays. — TNS