No Protests Allowed In Kashmir Till Situation Improves

No protests of any form, including sit-ins, will be allowed in Kashmir till the situation improves and the restrictions in the Kashmir Valley are completely lifted, the police said. On Tuesday, over a dozen women, including former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Farooq Abdullah’s sister and daughter were arrested for holding a sit-in in Srinagar against the ending of the state’s special status. The women academicians and activists, most of them aged between 60 and 80 years, were released on Thursday after furnishing personal bonds.

Among those arrested were Dr. Abdullah’s sister Suraiya Abdullah, his daughter Safia Abdullah Khan and Hawa Bashir, wife of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Justice Bashir Ahmed Khan. Women carrying placards had gathered at the Pratap Park near Srinagar’s Lal Chowk for a peaceful sit-in. As they started protesting, the police swooped in on them and took a dozen women into preventive custody. They were taken to a nearby police station and later sent to judicial custody.