Air services suspended, curfew extended in Kashmir

Srinagar/New Delhi : Curfew was on Tuesday extended to all troubled towns of Kashmir Valley to contain escalating violence while air services to and from Srinagar were also suspended, even as the separatists announced a fresh ?protest calendar?.

The death toll in the current unrest in the Valley touched 86 after clashes on Monday left 17 death and scores others injured even as the Centre covertly put the onus for the present situation on the Jammu and Kashmir state government.

A Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meet in the national capital on Monday in a statement said it wants to reduce the “trust deficit and governance-deficit” in J&K, in a clear snub to state chief minister Omar Abdullah, who has been camping in New Delhi.

Omar is reported to have taken umbrage at the statement, though he has refrained from any reaction ahead of Wednesday all-party meet convened by the Centre to find a consensus solution to end the present turmoil in the Valley.

In Srinagar, air services to and from the city, which were under suspension since September 3 due to renovation work on the runway, but were otherwise operating from the military airport at Awantipora in Pulwama, has been suspended for three more days.

Official sources said the decision to suspend air services was taken in view of the law and order situation in the Valley.

Prohibitory orders were clamped in fresh areas on Tuesday to foil trouble mongers? attempts to take advantage of rumours as well as to prevent common people from pouring out on the streets.

The new areas under curfew include Budgam town, Choon, Mirgund, Ompora, Narkara, Shekhpora, Humhama, I G Road, Gulwanpora, Nadir Gund, Chadoora and Wathoora in central Kashmir’s Budgam district.

Srinagar city, Anantnag, Bijbehara, Awantipora, Lethpora, Pampore and Pulwama towns in south Kashmir and Sopore town in North Kashmir had been under curfew since Sunday.

Curfew was also imposed in Ganderbal and Kangan towns, Kulgam, Qoimoh, Shopian town, Baramulla town, Tangmarg, Kupwara town, Tregham, Kralpora, Handwara, Chotipora, Kulangam and Bandipora town.

Meanwhile, hardline Hurriyat Conference faction led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani issued a 11-day protest schedule, asking people of Kashmir to carry out normal activities from dusk to dawn on strike days.

The latest schedule calls for dawn-to-dusk strikes on all days, except September 19 and 22.

?All business establishments, including manufacturing units, flour mills and cement factories will remain open from 7 PM to 7 AM. Transporters can also ply normally during night? the Hurriyat said in a statement.