Srinagar: Authorities here Wednesday decided to relax curfew in phases across the Kashmir valley to enable people to buy essential items like food and medicines.

An indefinite curfew had been imposed in all the 10 districts of the valley since 4 a.m. Sunday. ?Orders for phased relaxation of curfew have been issued to all the district magistrates of the valley.

The decision was taken Tuesday evening at a high level meet chaired by Governor N. N. Vohra,? a government official told IANS. The district magistrates will decide the timing for curfew relaxation in consultation with the security forces in order to ensure that the people can move about without any hindrance during the relaxation period, the official added.

Reports reaching here from district headquarters said vehicles fitted with loudspeakers were making announcements about the timings and duration of the relaxation periods.

Asked whether the proposed curfew relaxation in various localities of Srinagar would be extended beyond the announced period, a police officer said: "It depends upon the law and order situation in the area during the curfew relaxation period."

The curfew had been imposed to thwart Monday s proposed separatist march to Lal Chowk, the city centre of the state's summer capital Srinagar.

Separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq were arrested late Sunday, while Muhammad Yasin Malik, chairman of the pro-freedom Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), was arrested Monday to prevent their participation in the separatist march. The three are still in police custody. Official sources told IANS that no decision had yet been taken about their release.

Source : IANS