Mehbooba's brother meets her
NL Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 18
Fresh restrictions were imposed in parts of the city as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order in view of Friday congregational prayers, officials said. They said the curbs were imposed in Anchar area under the jurisdiction of police station Soura and the areas around the City's Jamia Masjid in police station Nowhatta. The authorities have been imposing restrictions in vulnerable areas of the valley on Friday, apprehending that vested interests might exploit large gatherings at big mosques and shrines to fuel protests and violence.
Reports said, Mehbooba Mufti's brother Tassaduq Hussain Mufti on Friday met her at the government guest house here where she has been kept under detention, party sources said. The meeting lasted for about 20 minutes, they said, without giving any further details.The former chief minister has been detained at the guest house which has been designated as a sub-jail. Cinematographer by profession, Tassaduq served as the tourism minister in Mehbooba-led Jammu and Kashmir government.
Restrictions were first imposed across the Kashmir Valley on August 5 when the Centre announced its decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution and to bifurcate the state into two Union territories. The restrictions were lifted in phases from the valley as the situation improved with the passage of time. Meanwhile, normal life remained affected across the valley. Shops opened for few hours early in the morning in some areas including in the commercial hub of Lal Chowk in the city here, but the main markets and other business establishments were shut, the officials said. Private transport was plying unhindered in the city here and elsewhere in Kashmir, the officials said. Autorickshaws and few inter-district cabs were also seen plying in few areas of the valley, they said. However, the other modes of public transport were off the roads. Schools and colleges were open, but students stayed away as parents continued to keep their wards at home due to apprehensions about their safety, the officials said. Mobile services were restored in Kashmir on Monday, but the SMS facility was snapped once again later that night due to incidents of the services being misused. Internet services — across all platforms continued to be snapped in the valley, they added. Most of the top level and second rung separatist politicians have been taken into preventive custody while mainstream leaders, including two former chief ministers — Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti and Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar Farooq Abdullah have been either detained or house-confined.