Indian Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag arrived in Srinagar on Wednesday to review the ongoing violence-ridden situation in the Kashmir Valley that began about two weeks ago.
General Dalbir Singh made an appeal to the ‘awaam’ to maintain peace and help the men in uniform to serve them better and exhorted everyone to ensure strict vigil along the Line of Control (LoC).
He also met with Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police K Rajendra Kumar and was reassured about the excellent synergy between the Army, police, the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and intelligence agencies.
Curfew Extended Till 25 July
One more person succumbed to injuries, raising the death toll to 43 in the unrest that erupted on 8 July. Separatists extended the ongoing strike call till 25 July.
Newspapers To Hit Stands
Local newspapers are also expected to hit the stands tomorrow 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.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed regret over restrictions on local newspapers in the Valley, claiming that it was not a deliberate attempt on part of the government to curb freedom of press but something that happened due to a communication gap.
She also sought the cooperation of the press in maintaining peace and calm in the state to prevent further loss of lives and destruction of properties.
Mehbooba Mufti called for an all party meeting to discuss security situation on Thursday. The decision to convene the meeting came 12 days after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces.
National Conference has decided to boycott the all party meeting, saying that actions in the recent past have shown that there was no “effective leadership” in the state government.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI, IANS)
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