Kashmir unrest: Pelet gun kills youth, toll rises to 71 ahead of all party delegation visit

A youth was on Saturday killed in clashes between protesters and security forces in Qazigund area of South Kashmir taking the death toll in the ongoing unrest to 71 even as curfew continued in parts of Srinagar in view of the separatists’ call for occupying Lal Chowk and Airport Road in Srinagar.

Curfew-like restrictions remained in force in rest of Kashmir even as normal life remained paralysed for the 57th day.

24-year old Basit Ahmed Ahanger was brought to the district hospital in Anantnag with pellet injuries sustained during clashes, a police official said, adding he was declared brought dead by the doctors.

“Curfew remains in force in five police station areas of downtown Srinagar and Batamaloo and Maisuma areas in uptown city,” a police official said.

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He said curfew in these areas of the summer capital continued as a precautionary measure in view of the call given by separatists asking people to occupy Airport Road, city centre Lal Chowk and district headquarters on Saturday and Sunday to protest the visit of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh-led all-party delegation to the Valley.

An all-party delegation led by Home Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday to interact with a cross section of people as part of efforts to bring peace in the Valley. 

The delegation includes senior leaders such as Arun Jaitley, Jitendra Singh, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ram Vilas Paswan , Ambika Soni, Sharad Yadav and Sitaram Yechury, among others. 

The delegation is expected to meet a cross section of people, individuals and organisations in its efforts to bring peace in Kashmir Valley which has been witnessing unrest after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.