Kashmir unrest: Mirwaiz Farooq arrested, strike called by separatists extended

Srinagar: Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was arrested on Wednesday for trying to defying curfew orders and offers special prayers for those who were killed in 1931 to free Kashmir from the Dogra rulers. Separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Yaseen Malik have called for the strike in the Valley to be extended by two more days (July 14 and 15) and have also asked the people to stage protests after Friday prayers. Calling on the people of Jammu and Kashmir to cooperate with the state government amid the turbulent situation in the valley, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti yesterday called for restrain among locals while assuring that action will be taken on security forces for using 'excessive force'. In a televised message, a visibly emotional Mufti was seen expressing her anguish over the deaths of both civilians and security forces in clashes over the protest against the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. Meanwhile, the death toll in the clashes between protesters and security forces in Kashmir crossed 30, while normal life remained paralysed due to curfew-like restrictions and separatists-sponsored strike.