After the death of Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Wednesday, the J&K government had imposed restrictions in the valley including suspension of internet services. Meanwhile, these restrictions and the internet shutdown will continue tomorrow also, J&K Police said on Thursday evening.
"It is also pertinent to mention that similar restrictions and internet shutdown will continue tomorrow. We shall review the situation tomorrow afternoon and take further course of action," the J&K Police said in a statement.
The Police also refuted rumours of Syed Ali Shah Geelani's forcible burial.
"Today situation across the valley remained peaceful & no untoward incident was reported. Some vested interests tried to spread baseless rumours about forcible burial of SAS Geelani by Police. Such baseless reports that are part of false propaganda are refuted by Police," J&K Police said.
"As a matter of fact, Police instead facilitated in bringing the dead-body from house to graveyard as there were apprehensions of miscreants taking undue advantage of the situation. The relatives of the deceased participated in the burial," it added.
The Police, meanwhile, requested the general public to "not pay heed to the rumours being spread by the anti-national elements especially across the border who are trying to take undue advantage of the situation and to disturb the peaceful atmosphere in valley".
Security personnel carrying automatic rifles patrolled streets on Thursday. Mobile phone services, barring post-paid connections of state-run BSNL, and the internet were shut down as a precautionary measure to prevent rumours and fake news from circulating. Barricades had been erected at various places and all vehicles were being thoroughly checked. Strict restrictions were imposed throughout the Valley to prevent people from assembling and there was heavy deployment of security forces to thwart any untoward incident.
All markets, public transport, other businesses and educational institutions remained closed in the Valley as contingents of police and paramilitary forces remained deployed around sensitive places in the city and elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Geelani was buried on Thursday in a local graveyard near his uptown Hyderpora residence in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar city.
The 92-year old Geelani passed away around 10.30 pm on Wednesday at his Hyderpora residence where he remained under house arrest since 2008.
Police sources told news agency IANS that Geelani was buried around 4.45 am at the Hyderpora graveyard in the presence of his relatives and neighbours.
Former Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, and other leaders including Sajad Gani Lone of the Peoples Conference, Hasnain Masoodi, Lok Sabha member and NC leader have expressed condolences on Geelani's death.
(With agency inputs)