Restrictions imposed on assembly of people on Gawkadal anniv

Authorities today imposed restrictions on the assembly of people in some areas around Lal Chowk city centre to prevent protests by separatist groups on the 27th anniversary of Gawkadal massacre in which 52 civilians were killed in alleged firing by security forces.
Restrictions on the assembly of people were imposed in Gawkadal, Maisuma, Lal Chowk and Regal Chowk areas to prevent protests, a police official said.
He said security forces had erected barricades at several places to prevent any protests.
Meanwhile, shops and business establishments were shut in these areas in the wake of the strike call by the separatists, including both factions of Hurriyat Conference and JKLF.

The killings in Gawkadal in 1990 took place two days after the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley. The protesters were demonstrating against the alleged high- handedness of security forces in another part of the city a day earlier.
Police yesterday arrested JKLF chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik and shifted him to central jail here, a JKLF spokesman said.