No curfew in Srinagar despite separatist shutdown

Srinagar, Nov 1 (IANS) No curfew was imposed in Srinagar Monday despite a protest shutdown called by separatists, officials said.



\'There is no curfew anywhere in Srinagar city and south Kashmir areas today (Monday). Curfew has, however, been imposed in Delina, Palhalan, Sopore and Bandipora towns in the north,\' a police officer said here.





\'The law and order situation is normal everywhere so far,\' he added.





Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani has called for a protest shutdown across the valley Monday as part of the group\'s \'Quit Kashmir\' campaign, which has adversely affected life here for over four months now.





Private transport plied on Srinagar roads and many banks, educational institutions and government offices functioned normally in the city.





Public transport, shops and other businesses, however, remained closed in Srinagar and other parts of the Kashmir Valley in response to the separatist shutdown call.





Although Geelani has called for intensifying the present stir, authorities here believe the situation is slowly returning to normal.





\'Things are gradually returning to normal here and the situation is much more relaxed now in comparison to the last three months,\' another senior police officer said.





Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, who visited the Kashmir Valley Sunday, also expressed satisfaction over the \'improving law and order situation\'.





Chidambaram also held a meeting with senior civil, military, police, paramilitary and intelligence officials during his visit and laid stress on using non-lethal weapons while handling the law and order situation so that \'no civilian casualty occurs during such a situation\'.


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