Srinagar, October 15: Sister of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Safia Abdullah, has been detained during a protest in Srinagar today. Safia Abdullah was taking part in a civil society protest in Srinagar, the first of its kind in the past 73 days since August 5 when Article 370 was made inoperable in Jammu and Kashmir.
Several Kashmiri women tried to organise a sit-in protest at Lal Chowk in Srinagar today.
The police however foiled the protest and detained them. Many of those detained women include former professors and academicians from the Kashmir valley.
This is the first time in last 73 days that an all-woman civil society protest was held against the abrogation of Article 370, bifurcation of J&K state, and detention of political leaders.
More than 1,000 people, including former J&K chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti, Omar Abdullah and his father Farooq Abdullah have been detained or put under house arrest in Kashmir.
Normal life has been hit in the Valley due to a near complete shutdown in the past two months. Market places, schools and college largely remain shut. However, the government has been claiming that the situation is “normal” and that the detentions are “purely for precaution”.
For much of the past 73 days, telephone and mobile connectivity remained suspended in Kashmir. These restrictions have been relaxed in past few days but mobile internet remains suspended.
