Despite Hurriyat arrests, situation in Kashmir 'normal': J-K DGP Vaid

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 25 (ANI): After the Hurriyat leadership called for a shutdown in Jammu and Kashmir (J-K) following the arrests of the Hurriyat leaders, state Deputy General of Police (DGP) S.P. Vaid said that the shutdown has not affected the Valley's normalcy and people are following their daily life routines. Vaid told ANI, "Things are absolutely normal. People are following their routine." Vaid said that there is no curfew in the valley, except restrictions being imposed on five police stations downtown. "Many shops are open. There is partial traffic on the road", he added. Vaid further said that the normalcy in the state clearly implies that the public knows everything and nothing has been hidden from them. The arrested Hurriyat leaders were brought to the headquarters of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Delhi yesterday. All the seven of them will be produced before the Patiala House Court today. The accused have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The seven separatists include Naeem Khan, Bitta Karate, Altaf Funtus, Ayaz Akbar, T. Saifullah, Meraz Kalwal and Saheed Ul Islam. Six of them were arrested from Srinagar, while Bitta Karate was arrested from New Delhi. The NIA visited Srinagar in May to probe the alleged funding by Pakistan for illegal activities in Kashmir, and questioned several separatist leaders on the issue of raising, collecting and transferring funds via the Hawala route and other channels to fund terror activities in Kashmir. The NIA sleuths specifically questioned separatist leaders Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bitta Karate and Gazi Javed Baba at that time. The NIA is said to be probing all aspects of funding to separatist leaders and how they reportedly used these funds to fuel unrest in the Kashmir Valley. (ANI)