Restrictions were imposed on Kashmir valley after the death of Syed Ali Shah Geelani (AFP)
It's the second day of restrictions and communications blockade in Kashmir valley. Phone and internet services were snapped after the death of separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Wednesday night. The police today said the situation is completely under control and they will soon review the situation and ease restrictions.
"The situation is completely under control. Not a single untoward incident happened in the last two days and it's due to the cooperation of people. We are going to review snapping of phone lines and internet services and I believe we will restore them soon," Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Dilbag Singh said.
All the major mosques and shrines are shut for Friday's congregational prayers to prevent any protest or funeral prayers in absentia for Mr Geelani.
The 92-year-old separatist leader died on Wednesday evening. Soon a clampdown was enforced in Kashmir valley. Mr Geelani was given a quiet pre-dawn burial on Thursday. His family alleged they were not allowed to participate in last rites after the police took away the body.
"Police took away the body. We wanted a burial in the morning but they refused. They broke open the doors and misbehaved with the family," said Naseem Geelani, son of Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
"We don't know who performed his last rites. Maybe some neighbours were there... We couldn't attend after they took away the body forcibly," Naseem Geelani said.
The police, however, denied the allegations and said some relatives of Mr Geelani attended the last rites and made it clear that people will not be allowed to visit the family. "People should not try to come here. We will only allow relatives and neighbours to visit. No one else will be allowed," said Vijay Kumar, Inspector General of Police.
Mr Geelani had contested several elections and was elected to the Jammu and Kashmir assembly three times before he became the face of a separatist movement in Kashmir in 1990s.
Once a face of the Kashmiri separatist movement, Mr Geelani died in isolation. He had been confined to his home for the last few years. Some have alleged that his silence after special status to Jammu and Kashmir was scrapped in August 2019 was to protect his family from the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
While Mr Geelani was a pro-Pakistan separatist and against any dialogue, he was also seen as a predictable person, who lacked political modulation and flexibility. This was on display when he shut the doors to a delegation of MPs who wanted to meet him in 2016 during a civilian unrest.