Article 370 fall-out: Jammu schools, colleges reopen tomorrow, 144 removed

Prohibitory orders banning congregation of more than 4 people under Section-144 has been removed from Jammu paving the way for reopening of schools and colleges in the region from tomorrow as per the order released by the Deputy Magistrate of Jammu district on Friday.

Relaxation for Jammu follows an assessment that situation in the region was normal.

Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, Muneer Khan, while talking to reporters in Kathua described the situation in Kashmir to be “under control,”

“In Jammu, situation is normal. In Kashmir, situation is under control. All steps necessary to maintain law and order will be taken,” Khan said.

Earlier in the day, restrictions were lifted in the valley allowing people to offer Friday prayers in their local mosques.

People, who have mostly been indoors because of heavy security deployment in the wake of removal of special status for Jammu and Kashmir and its bifurcation, were allowed to go to mosques in their localities.

A PTI report quoted an official to suggest there were no untoward incident and the situation, as of late afternoon was fine in the Srinagar city and south Kashmir. The official, the report added, had said that reports from all areas were yet to arrive.

PTI said it had spoken to officials who reported minor incidents of stone-pelting in Sopore town of north Kashmir, 50 km from Srinagar that was contained immediately and the crowd dispersed.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had directed authorities to ensure that no Kashmiris is harassed and the Prime Minister in an address to nation on Thursday had assured to slowly return Jammu and Kashmir to normalcy.

Doval, who has been camping in Kashmir since Tuesday, spoke to locals and security personnel during a quick tour of the sensitive downtown area here on Friday, an official told PTI

It further reported that the NSA, accompanied by his aides and senior police officers, visited the Eidgah locality and stopped at various places to interact with locals. He later spoke to police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and thanked them for their wonderful work in maintaining law and order.

Security forces have been put on high alert across the Kashmir Valley preempting possible protests against the scraping of special status to Jammu and Kashmir and dividing it into two union territories.

The clampdown in Kashmir was imposed on Monday, hours before the government gave its nod to the proposal.

During easing of restrictions in some parts of the city, especially in the civil line areas on Thursday, the movement of the people remained thin, while a few shops mostly selling vegetables and medicines opened.