Non-local laborers leave Kashmir amid violence, curfews

Recent violence in India’s restive northern state of Kashmir is spurring nonlocal laborers to board buses Wednesday and leave the area, as strict curfews remain in force in most parts of Kashmir, an epa journalist on the scene reports.

The curfews, enforced by Indian paramilitary soldiers who patrol the streets, are keeping most local people inside their homes during the day.

For about three hours in the evening the curfews are lifted and people can leave their houses to shop and perform other tasks.

However, when security forces briefly return to their bases during that time, some masked local people reportedly take to the streets and throw stones at security personnel.

Today marked the fourth day that newspapers went unpublished in Kashmir, even though an alleged government publication ban expired already, as newspaper company owners were still deciding on how to proceed.

The circumstances of the publishing halts are disputed, after Amitabh Mattoo, political adviser to the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, yesterday said the government didn’t impose any media bans, and suggested only that the curfews would make the circulation of papers difficult, the Hindustan Times newspaper reports.

Local papers dispute that and have refused to publish until the government gives a full explanation.

“We want the government to own up to the ban and get the assurance that there will not be hurdles in staff movement and distribution of the newspapers. We want it in black and white that a ban was imposed and it has been completely lifted,” said Rashid Maqdoomi, publisher of the Greater Kashmir daily.

The violence in Kashmir has claimed at least 44 lives from clashes with police and military personnel since a local militant was killed on Jul. 8.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, speaking today in a statement, said Pakistan is a stakeholder in the Kashmir issue and is observing the ‘black day’ to protest against atrocities in Jammu and Kashmir.