Srinagar: Upto a dozen youth were arrested by armed forces in a series of raids in multiple villages of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district in past two day ahead of the upcoming municipal elections.
Reports said that police and SOG men carried several raids over past two days in Rahmoo, Karimabad, Muran and other places in and around the Pulwama town and picked up more than a dozen persons.
Locals have identified some of the detainees as Arshad Sofi, Muzamil Ahmad, Raju, Manzoor Ahmad, Yawar, Aqib Ahmad, Majid and Azeez Pir.
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Tensions were underway after both local parties, National Conference and People’s Democratic Party announced that they would be boycotting the upcoming municipal, local body elections whic hare sceduled to take place in October, November. Following their announcement, JK Chief Secretary said that the polls would go as planned and there would be no deferment.
However, the two parties including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress claimed that their candidates won the elections from several wards uncontested.
Meanwhile Ministry of Home Affairs has directed the state government to provide adequate security to ensure peaceful and smooth conduct of polls. Reliable sources told Kashmir News Service that governor led administration has put security agencies on high alert especially in Southern parts of the Valley.
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Sources privy to the development told KNS that at least 215 candidates in the Valley who filed their nomination papers for the polls have won the elections unopposed while as in over 150 wards, no candidate has filed their papers.
Meanwhile, the Joint Resistance Leadership has called for a shutdown in Kashmir on October 8.
“JRL leaders asked people to observe complete shutdown across Jammu and Kashmir on 8th October to protest the commencement of the ULB and Panchayat election drama being foisted upon them,” said a JRL statement.
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