Authorities impose restrictions to disallow separatist march in Indian-controlled Kashmir

Authorities Friday imposed strict restrictions in parts of Indian- controlled Kashmir including Srinagar city, the summer capital to disallow a proposed march called by region's separatists.

The call for march was given against series of mysterious killings in volatile Sopore town, about 52 km northwest of Srinagar.

While four were killed last week, the number of such killings have gone up to six in the past four weeks.

The restrictions were enforced by hundreds of policemen and India's paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, who remained deployed on main roads and inside localities to prevent free movement of people and vehicles.

The personnel equipped with automatic rifles and wearing riot gear closed roads leading to Sopore to scuttle the separatist call for march.

Authorities Thursday placed region's top separatist leaders including Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest and detained others in police stations, to prevent them from leading the march.

However, Friday morning Geelani was detained and lodged in a police station after he defied the police restriction and tried to visit the town.

"While trying to break his house detention today and to lead the proposed protest march in Sopore against the brutal civilians killings, Chairman All Parties Hurriyat (freedom) Conference Syed Ali Geelani was arrested outside his residence at Hyderpora along with his associates and was taken to the Humhama police station," a spokesman of Geelani said.

"We have paced restrictions under Section 144 as a preventive measure in areas falling under seven police stations, which including Maisuma, Parimpora, Khanyar, Maharaj Gunj, Nowhatta, Safakadal and Rainawari to stop people from assembling and taking out a march," a senior police officer told Xinhua. "The measures have been taken to maintain peace and order in the city."

Section 144 is the government order that prohibits assembly of more than four persons in public place.

Authorities Friday locked the historic grand mosque in old city in a bid to prevent devotees from offering Friday afternoon congregational prayers. Friday coincided with the first day of holy Ramadhan -- the Muslim month of fasting.

"We were not allowed by the police and paramilitary forces to head towards the mosque to offer prayers," Mehboob Ahmad, a resident said.

The locking of mosque was condemned by moderate separatist Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who delivers sermon in the mosque every Friday.

"Preventing people from offering prayers in the mosque, especially on the first day of Ramadhan, otherwise a month of compassion, tantamount to interference in their religion," a local newspaper quoted Farooq as having said.

Reports pouring in from Sopore town said similar restrictions were put in place by the government forces.

The town disturbed by the mysterious killings resembles a ghost town with markets deserted, and its residents in fear.

Meanwhile business establishments, shops, educational institutions and private offices remained closed in Srinagar in wake of restrictions. The attendance in government run offices and banks remained affected due to restrictions

A separatist movement and guerilla war challenging New Delhi's rule is going on in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan is claimed by both in full. Since their independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir. Endi