Crackdown continues, 104 more arrested; Resistance toughen stand, extend Shutdown till Oct 27

• ‘March to JK Assembly and attend first resistance Assembly on October 27’
• Forces foil freedom march to Hizb chief’s home-town
• Resistance toughen stand, extend shutdown till Oct 27
• Ask people to camp outside MLAs’ houses for 3 days
• Passenger vehicle torched in Baramulla
• 104 youth arrested in 24 hrs: Police

Forces foiled a freedom march to Soibugh, the home-town of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Wednesday by resorting to aerial firing and tear-gas shelling on people, reports and witnesses said, even as complete shutdown was observed across Kashmir for the 103rd consecutive day. Markets however opened in Srinagar and elsewhere after 5 pm on the relaxation call given by Kashmir’s joint resistance leadership in their weekly protest calendar.
Witnesses said forces had sealed all entry and exit points in Budgam district, especially in and around Soibugh village, the native place of Salahuddin, who also the heads the United Jihad Council, a conglomerate of militant organizations. People were trying to march towards Soibugh on the call of the joint resistance leadership. Witnesses said clashes erupted in the village after forces resorted to aerial firing to put a halt on a pro-freedom rally which was on. The rally, which was attended by over a thousand people, at Soibugh Chowk was nearing its end when forces raided the area, the witnesses added.

“They fired in the air and used tear-gas shells to thwart the rally,” said a witness. “This triggered clashes.”
Witnesses said Army had also been deployed at various points to prevent a mass gathering of people. However, a gathering at Soibugh Chowk continued with pro-freedom sloganeering.
Reports from Ganderbal district said amid restrictions, heavy deployment of forces was made in Manigam and its adjacent areas to prevent ‘Manigam Chalo’ called by the joint resistance leadership. All roads leading to Manigam were sealed. There were however no reports of any protests in the district.

Clashes erupted in Arihal village of Pulwama in South Kashmir after people staged demonstrations against nocturnal raids and alleged ransacking of houses by forces. Forces also foiled freedom marches called by resistance leadership to various areas of South Kashmir. Reports and witnesses said people took to streets this morning after announcements were made over public address systems, urging people to come out of their houses. Forces resorted to aerial firing and intense teargas shelling to break up the protests, triggering clashes, they said. Locals said forces raided the area late on Tuesday night to arrest a local Imam, Mufti Sheeraz Ahmad, a resident of New Colony in Arihal area. “Since he was not at his home, the forces ransacked and damaged private property worth lakhs of rupees,” they alleged.
They said that at least six persons were arrested by the forces last night.
Meanwhile, clashes erupted in Newa village of the district after forces used teargas shells to disperse youths who staged protests after defying curfew-like restrictions, witnesses said. The restrictions were place in view of ‘Newa Chalo call issued by the resistance leadership. Earlier, all roads leading to Newa were sealed by forces.
Police also foiled ‘Achabal Chalo’ for Ananatnag district, ‘Pahloo Chalo’ for Kulgam and ‘Zainapora Chalo’ for Shopian district by imposing restrictions in these areas, reports said. In Shopian however, a pro-freedom rally was held in adjacent Chitaragam village.
Reports from north Kashmir’s Bandipora district said a pro-freedom rally was organised in Quil village. People from adjoining villages including Muqam, Malangam and Mangnipora participated in the rally. Protestors were raising pro-freedom slogans. The rally was addressed by various pro-freedom leaders.
Reports said in Hajin town, a massive protest rally as held.
In Baramulla district, a Scorpio vehicle was set ablaze by unknown persons at Delina, police said. Reports from Srinagar district said unidentified youth damaged J&K Bank property at Badshah Nagar, Natipora.

The Resistance leadership has extended strike call to October 27.
In a statement issued by media cell of Hurriyat Conference here Wednesday, people have been asked to march towards the homes of MLAs of their respective areas after Friday prayer, picket and protest for three days outside their homes.
The statement accused the MLAs of “providing a civilian mask to military occupation”.
On Monday (October 24), from 7 am onwards the protest calendar has urged people to take out freedom marches from Kupwara to Drugmulla, Baramulla to Sangrama, Bandipora to Arin, Budgam to Parnewa, Ganderbal to Lar, Srinagar to Harwan, Pulwama to Shadimarg, Shopian to Kaprin, Kulgam to Behibah and Anantnag to Khoveripora.
“Post Zuhr prayer, hold freedom congregation at the place identified and agreed upon locally and mutually; resistance/masjid committees/youth volunteers of these blocks coordinate and ensure the arrangements,” reads the statement.
On Tuesday, the separatist leadership has asked people to assemble and occupy local chowks and centres from Zuhr to Asr and protest with flags, placards and banners with freedom messages and slogans.
For Wednesday and Thursday, people have been asked to march to J&K Assembly at Srinagar and attend “First Resistance Assembly” on 27th of October to mark the day of 1947 when Indian troops landed in Srinagar “and forcibly and illegally occupied Jammu & Kashmir”.
“Joint Resistance Leadership also invites President, Prime Minister and Members of Azad Kashmir Assembly to attend this historic convention. Kashmiris and people advocating right to self-determination for the people of Jammu & Kashmir living in India and other parts of world are also invited to attend this first ever resistance assembly to be held in Srinagar,” adds the statement.
People have also been asked to hoist black flags.
The protest calendar maintained that shutdown should be observed on all days except for the relaxation mentioned in the program.
“Relaxation period is forall including Public and private transportas well as factories and other industrial unit holders,” the calendar reads.
“Lockdown all the routes entering your Mohallas, Villages and Localities by every means during night to protect people in general and youth in particular from the raids and arrests by forces and J&K Police. Play Islamic and Azadi Taranas from Maghrib to Isha on all days. Paste this Protest Program Poster on the entrance of every mosque and in Market places, Mohallas and Local Chowks,” it adds.

Police Version
In a statement, a police spokesman said: “The day witnessed increased vehicular and pedestrian movement across Srinagar city and most of the towns of the valley. Shops and business establishments, petrol pumps etc were open.”
“A constant increase in the number of vendors on the streets of the towns was also noticed. Barring a couple of stray incidents of stone pelting, situation across the valley remained largely normal till filing of this report. During the day, transport plied normally on all routes and people were busy in their daily activities of life in the valley,” the statement read. “In Srinagar, some miscreants entered into J&K Bank Branch Badshah Nager, Natipora and damaged CCTV screen, LED, glass panes and other valuable items in the bank. A case FIR number 182/2016 has been registered and miscreants involved in the incidents are being identified.”
“In Baramulla, some miscreants set on fire a Scorpio vehicle bearing registration number JK15-1031 on Highway at Delina to disrupt the normal flow of traffic. An FIR has been lodged in Police station Baramulla and manhunt has been launched to nab the miscreants involved in the incident. Meanwhile, in its drive to curb the activities of the trouble mongers involved in various crimes of disrupting the public order in different parts of the Kashmir, police has arrested 104 such individuals during past 24 hours.”