Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik appeared in Lal Chowk on Tuesday morning after remaining in hiding to evade his arrest ahead of the Joint Resistance Leadership protest march to centre of the summer capital after seven civilians and three militants were killed in
JRL has called a protest march to Lal Chowk tomorrow to protest the civilian killings in Kulgam yesterday.
“After evading arrest for two days, Yasin Malik managed to reach Lal Chowk this morning. He arrived at Masjid Sharif Koker Bazar before Nimaz-e-Fajr,” said a spokesman.
Meanwhile, authorities have sealed the city centre in wake of the protest march.
Last evening, the police had issued an advisory, asking commuters to use an alternate route as “the stretch of road from Amira Kadal to Regal Chowk will be blocked for traffic”.
A complete shutdown was observed in Kashmir in the aftermath of seven civilian killings in Kulgam which took place on Sunday.
A powerful explosion after a gunfight in Laroo village of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district in which three militants were killed, led to the death of the civilians.
In Srinagar’s Old City, restrictions were clamped to foil any protests against the Kulgam killings. In Nowhatta, Rajouri Kadal, Saraf Kadal, Maharaj Gunj, Gojwara, Khanyar, Safa Kadal and other areas of the Old City, armed forces were keeping a tight vigil to keep protesters at bay, witnesses said.
At many places, forces laid razor wire to restrict movement of people.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Hurriyat (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq while appreciating Pakistan’s concern in the aftermath of the Kulgam carnage, however added that in order to end the appalling repression, Pakistan needs to ‘do more’.
