Burqa deadline extended by ten days, security beefed up

1 September 2001
The Indian Express

Srinagar: As the deadline for women in Kashmir Valley to wear burqa was extended by 10 days by militant outfit Lashkar-e-Jabbar, security was beefed up in and around women''s educational institutions as a precautionary measure. In a telephonic statement to a local news agency, the outfit, which gave a diktat early last month, announced they were extending the deadline by ten days following a request by women''s organisation Dukhteran-e-Millat, which had extended support to the campaign. With the original deadline set to expire on Saturday, authorities took no chances and deployed policemen in and around all women''s educational institutions in Srinagar and other major towns in the Valley, official sources said. Lashker-e-Jabbar, which claimed responsibility for the acid attack on two women in downtown Srinagar last month, had threatened action against women and girls who violated their diktat.