Kashmir Under Tight Restrictions For Third Day After Ayatollah Khamenei's Assassination
Kashmir’s business hub, Lal Chowk in Srinagar, remains barricaded with tin sheets and rolls of barbed wire.
Published : March 4, 2026 at 1:33 PM IST
Srinagar: Authorities in Kashmir continued to restrict the movement of the public and traffic for a third day on Wednesday to prevent protests and gatherings following the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the strikes by the US and Israel.
Kashmir’s business hub, Lal Chowk in Srinagar, which witnessed the first major assembly of protesters since the abrogation of Article 370 on Sunday, remains barricaded with tin sheets and rolls of barbed wire. Police and paramilitary forces are blocking pedestrian movement along the Amir Kadal road stretch.
Restrictions have also been imposed in Srinagar’s Old City and Shia-populated areas across other districts of the Valley, including Budgam town, Magam, Bandipora’s Sumbal, Pulwama’s Gangoo, and Baramulla’s Pattan. In Bandipora, some Shia mourners held peaceful rallies in the Shadipora, Shilwat and Nowgam areas.
The high-speed 4G internet services have remained suspended since March 1 (Sunday). According to the Home Department order, the internet speed for postpaid mobile data services (5G/4G/3G) has been reduced to 2G (not more than 128Kbps). Prepaid mobile services, including pre-on-post (JK10) data, voice, and SMS, will remain shut down across the entire Kashmir Valley until 8 pm today (March 4), the order states.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has extended the closure of schools, colleges, and universities until March 7 (Saturday) amid the tension. The educational institutions were set to open on Monday after a three-month-long winter break, but were closed after the massive protests were witnessed across Kashmir against the killing of Khamenei.
Public transport services remain disrupted for the third day today, with only limited private vehicle movement observed in some areas of Srinagar and other towns of the valley. Smart city bus services and Jammu and Kashmir Road Transport Corporation (JKRTC) buses have been off the roads since Sunday.
Shops and other business establishments remained partially shut in towns and in Srinagar city. But in Lalchowk and its adjoining markets, shops remained closed, except for the emergency medical stores.
Meanwhile, police said they booked Javid Ahmad Khanday, a resident of Shopian, for allegedly circulating provocative content on social media platforms, which was found prejudicial to the maintenance of public order.
Khanday was allegedly involved in sharing and propagating certain videos accompanied by captions and comments, which were prima facie capable of disturbing public peace and adversely affecting the law and order situation. Accordingly, FIR No. 26/2026 has been registered at the Keegam police post under relevant provisions of law, and an investigation has been initiated, police said in a statement. Further legal action shall be taken as warranted under the law.
On Tuesday, police booked National Conference (NC) leader and Member of Parliament Aga Ruhullah Mehdi and former Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu for allegedly circulating false and misleading content on social media platforms that has the potential to disturb public order.
The cases were filed at the Cyber Police Station in Srinagar following credible input regarding the circulation of false, fabricated, and misleading content across digital and social media platforms, the police said in a statement.
Reacting to the FIR against him, Ruhullah stated that his security details had been downgraded and his Facebook account had been suspended.
“Some fools in J&K Police and administration think that by withdrawing/downgrading my security detail and suspending my Facebook account will stop me from calling out their atrocities. It is laughable! Neither am I fascinated by these petty things nor scared by their absence around me,” he posted on X
“My Father was Martyred standing for his people. That’s what fascinates me. That’s my course. I am a citizen of this country and I will exercise my rights to stand up against your atrocities, violation of laws, freedom and democracy given to us by the constitution, to the last drop of my blood. Take whatever little you have left there. These foolish acts will not stop me,” he said.
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