Srinagar: A Kashmiri separatist leader was among five killed on Monday as police fired to stop traders from crossing into Pakistan to protest what they said was an economic blockade by Hindus.
A land dispute has polarised Jammu and Kashmir, split between the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley and the Hindu-dominated region around Jammu city, severely curbing trade between the two areas. As a result, traders are trying to sell their goods in neighbouring Pakistan.
People were killed in clashes with security forces as they marched towards the Line of Control in Baramulla district, forcing authorities to impose indefinite curfew in major cities and towns.
Curfew has been imposed on a 34-kilometer stretch along the LoC in Baramulla district after protestors planned to move fruit laden trucks to the LoC. Movement on the Srinagar- Muzzafarabad road has also been blocked.
Sheikh Abdul Aziz, separatist leader and executive member of the moderate Hurriyat faction, was killed in Baramulla district while participating in the 'Muzaffarabad Chalo' march.
A huge procession of fruit growers and people, numbering nearly 30,000, was being led by senior Hurriyat leaders Shabir Ahmad Shah and Sheikh Abdul Aziz from the north Kashmir town of Sopore. They were marching towards Muzaffarabad in Pakistani Kashmir as part of the 'Muzaffarabad Chalo' call given by the fruit growers and supported by both groups of the Hurriyat conference.
The protesters were intercepted at the Sangrama crossing on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road, but the unrelenting protesters attacked a paramilitary patrol at Sangrama and torched two vehicles of the police.
The security forces opened fire on them, killing two protesters and wounding four others.
The protesters continued their march towards the Uri border town in north Kashmir's Baramulla district and were joined by hundreds more en route.
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The protesters were carrying the body of the two slain youth.
The march towards the Line of Control (LOC) was intercepted by the security forces at Chahal, which is 25 kilometers before the Uri border in Baramulla district.
"The protesters were asked to return back as curfew had been imposed in the area, but they refused to return and instead started breaking the barricades erected by the security forces.
"After baton charge and tear smoke failed to deter the mob, the security forces had to fire at the protesters in which one person was killed and the senior Hurriyat leader, Sheikh Abdul Aziz was injured," a senior police officer said here.
Aziz was shifted to the SMHS hospital in summer capital Srinagar where he later succumbed to his injuries, gripping the summer capital with high tension.
Aziz, 53, was the chairman of the People's League and had joined the moderate Hurriyat group in January this year after his release from jail. He belonged to the south Kashmir Pampore town.
Earlier in the day, thousands of protesters gathered at Parimpora area of Srinagar city, pelting stones at police and the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
"Police and paramilitary forces used batons and tear smoke to disperse the violent mob, which kept on regrouping and attacking the police and CRPF with stones," a police official said.
"Police had to use rubber bullets to disperse the mob injuring 20 people, one of whom later died in the hospital," police here said.
Reports of pitched battles between the security forces and protesters also came in from south Kashmir's Anantnag and Pulwama districts.
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In the massive violence across the Valley on Monday, more than 200 people, including protesters, police and paramilitary personnel, were injured.
The Prime Minister has called for an all-party meet on Wednesday to address the issue.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the all-party delegation who visited Jammu and Srinagar to find a solution to the Amarnath land row on Monday failed to arrive at a consensus to resolve the vexed issue.
In the meeting, the delegation members made various suggestions to resolve the dispute but opposition BJP, which was represented by Arun Jaitley, stressed on implementing the order of division bench of Jammu and Kashmir High Court.
As per the orders, the land will be handed over to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board for a period of two months of yatra when pre-fabricated structures can be erected. However, as per the order, the ownership of the land will remain unchanged.
The delegation had a two-day visit to the state where it held talks with Shri Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti (SASS), spearheading the over month-long agitation in Jammu, besides holding parleys with leaders from Kashmir valley.
Summing up the visit, Patil said he was hopeful of a peaceful solution to the problem.
The Home Minister spoke to Governor NN Vohra and the state police chief to take stock of the situation.
The meeting was attended among others by Union Ministers Raghuvansh Prasad, Saif-ud-din Soz, Prithviraj Chavan, Farooq Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Amar Singh and Sitaram Yechury.
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