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Restrictions relaxed in more parts of Kashmir
Restrictions were eased in 35 police station areas of Kashmir, while 17 telephone exchanges, out of a total of 96, were made functional, administration officials said.
The administration relaxed curbs on public movement and started reopening telephone landlines in parts of the Kashmir Valley on Saturday in a partial easing of the restrictions put in place before the Centre pushed through measures stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and converting the state into two Union Territories.
Restrictions were eased in 35 police station areas of Kashmir, while 17 telephone exchanges, out of a total of 96, were made functional, administration officials said. More than 50,000 landline phones have been made operational, the officials said, adding that services will be restored in other areas in phases.
Traffic barricades remained on the roads, but motorists were allowed to proceed after their credentials were checked by security forces, witnesses said. More traffic was also visible on the national highway, with the police and paramilitary forces keeping a close watch on areas deemed to be sensitive.
Government spokesperson Rohit Kansal said primary schools across the Valley would reopen on Monday and government offices will also be fully functional by then.
“In the Jammu region, landline, mobiles are already functional. We have already opened up some mobile internet with some functionality in at least five districts and shall be successively opening up in other areas as well,” he said.
It was the first time in 13 days that the authorities eased a clampdown enforced before Parliament, on August 5 and 6, effectively revoked Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave special status to Kashmir, and Article 35A that reserved government jobs and property ownership exclusively for permanent residents of the state. Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two Union Territories -- J&K and Ladakh.
Soon after the relaxation of restrictions, Srinagar’s deputy commissioner Shahid Choudhary appealed to the people against panic buying.
Kashmir’s inspector general of police SP Pani said restrictions had been eased in 35 police station areas across the Valley. “The relaxation was done in 15 north Kashmir, 10 central Kashmir, 15 south Kashmir police stations. We are keeping a track on the situation,’’ he said.
Kansal said that there had been no report of any violence until the evening. “Public transport has also started plying and we are getting encouraging reports of normal movement from a lot of rural areas,” he said.
The reopening of telephone landlines was welcomed by residents although many parts of
ment offices will also be fully functional by then.
“In the Jammu region, landline, mobiles are already functional. We have already opened up some mobile internet with some functionality in at least five districts and shall be successively opening up in other areas as well,” he said.
It was the first time in 13 days that the authorities eased a clampdown enforced before Parliament, on August 5 and 6, effectively revoked Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave special status to Kashmir, and Article 35A that reserved government jobs and property ownership exclusively for permanent residents of the state. Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two Union Territories -- J&K and Ladakh.
Soon after the relaxation of restrictions, Srinagar’s deputy commissioner Shahid Choudhary appealed to the people against panic buying.
Kashmir’s inspector general of police SP Pani said restrictions had been eased in 35 police station areas across the Valley. “The relaxation was done in 15 north Kashmir, 10 central Kashmir, 15 south Kashmir police stations. We are keeping a track on the situation,’’ he said.
Kansal said that there had been no report of any violence until the evening. “Public transport has also started plying and we are getting encouraging reports of normal movement from a lot of rural areas,” he said.
The reopening of telephone landlines was welcomed by residents although many parts of
ment offices will also be fully functional by then.
“In the Jammu region, landline, mobiles are already functional. We have already opened up some mobile internet with some functionality in at least five districts and shall be successively opening up in other areas as well,” he said.
It was the first time in 13 days that the authorities eased a clampdown enforced before Parliament, on August 5 and 6, effectively revoked Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave special status to Kashmir, and Article 35A that reserved government jobs and property ownership exclusively for permanent residents of the state. Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two Union Territories -- J&K and Ladakh.
Soon after the relaxation of restrictions, Srinagar’s deputy commissioner Shahid Choudhary appealed to the people against panic buying.
Kashmir’s inspector general of police SP Pani said restrictions had been eased in 35 police station areas across the Valley. “The relaxation was done in 15 north Kashmir, 10 central Kashmir, 15 south Kashmir police stations. We are keeping a track on the situation,’’ he said.
Kansal said that there had been no report of any violence until the evening. “Public transport has also started plying and we are getting encouraging reports of normal movement from a lot of rural areas,” he said.
The reopening of telephone landlines was welcomed by residents although many parts of Srinagar were still without communication facilities, especially those that fall in the old part of the city and some in the Civil Lines.
“The restoration of landlines is a good step. The government should now restore mobile phones as there has not been any major violent incident,’’ said Tahir Ahmad, a resident, who added that he had spoken for the first time in a fortnight to his brother, who resides in Delhi with his family. “The communication clampdown was the biggest injustice done with the people of Kashmir.’’
A senior officer told Hindustan Times that mobile phones will only be restored after an assessment is carried out in areas where landlines have been opened. “The government will also open the schools up to primary level from Monday. The colleges and higher secondary will be thrown open only after reviewing the overall situation from different parts of Kashmir,” the officer said on condition of anonymity.
In the Jammu region, the authorities eased restrictions in five more districts. Restrictions under prohibitory orders, which ban the public assembly of five or more people, were eased in Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban districts in the Chenab valley and the border districts of Poonch and Rajouri in the Pir Panjal region early on Saturday.
