Restrictions in Kashmir on third consecutive day after protests over Khamenei killing

Srinagar, Mar 4: Strict restrictions remained imposed in many areas of Kashmir for the third consecutive day on Wednesday following massive protests across the valley against the killing of Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, officials said.

As a precautionary measure, the government shut educational institutions till Saturday, while mobile internet speed continued to remain throttled.

“Restrictions on the movement and assembly of the people continued in many parts of Kashmir on Wednesday,” the officials said.

They said strict restrictions were being enforced especially in the parts having large Shia population and those areas which have witnessed massive protests over the last three days.

“A large number of police and paramilitary CRPF personnel were deployed across the city to prevent gatherings of protestors,” the officials said.

They added that concertina wires and barricades were placed at important intersections leading into the city, while asserting that these were precautionary measures imposed to maintain law and order.

The Ghanta Ghar in the city centre of Lal Chowk here continued to remain a no-go zone after the authorities sealed area with barricades erected all around it on late Sunday night.

The move to seal the Ghanta Ghar came after it witnessed massive protests on Sunday after Khamenei’s death in the joint air strikes by the U.S. and Israel.

This is the first time since August 2019 that protests on such a large scale have taken place in Kashmir. (PTI)