Srinagar tense after protest call by separatists

Strict curfew like restrictions were imposed by the state authorities in Srinagar after the Separatist Coordination Committee called for a shut down and protests after Friday's prayers.

Personnel from the police and the Central Reserve Police Force have been deployed in large numbers in Srinagar and other towns to enforce the restrictions.

Shops and commercial establishments remained shut, while both private and public vehicles stayed off the roads. Educational institutions, banks and state government offices also remained closed.

The committee, comprising representatives from both factions of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, local traders and bar association members, had called for protests, which prompted the state authorities to impose curfew like restrictions in Srinagar.

The committee has also called for marches in Pulwama and Shopian to protest the assembly polls being held in these districts on Saturday.

Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who head the moderate and hardline groups of the APHC respectively, continue to remain under house arrest.