Kashmir unrest: Uneasy calm in Valley, death toll rises to 43

Uneasy calm prevailed for the second day on Wednesday in curfew-bound Kashmir Valley where one more person succumbed to his injuries raising to 43 the death toll in the unrest that erupted on July 8 even as separatists extended the ongoing strike call till July 25.

Local newspapers are also expected to hit the stands on Thursday after suspending publication six days ago over the alleged clampdown by the government, a claim denied by the state although a senior minister Naeem Akhtar justified the restrictions earlier.

The decision to resume the publications came just hours after Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti met the editors who called on her here, assuring “independence of media”.

Army Chief General Dalbir Singh, who is on a day-long visit to the Valley, reviewed the security situation in Kashmir and appealed to the people to maintain peace while calling for strict vigil along the Line of Control (LoC).

Though the situation in the Valley remained by and large peaceful with no major untoward incident reported from anywhere since yesterday, 56-year-old Ghulam Mohammad Mir, who was injured in a firing incident at Hatmulla in Kupwara district of north Kashmir on July 15, succumbed to his injuries at SMHS hospital here, officials said.

Hailing from Khumriyal village, the deceased was critically injured in the firing which also left a youth dead.

Soon after his death, a group of people staged a peaceful demonstration outside the hospital against the killing.

Kashmir Valley is on the boil since July 8 following the death of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter in Kokernag district of south Kashmir.

Reports of protest demonstrations and hoisting of black flags were also reported from various parts of the city and elsewhere, coinciding with the “black day” which was observed in Pakistan today.

However, police and paramilitary forces removed the flags and enforced strict restrictions in the curfew-bound areas of the Valley to maintain law and order.