Police Monday intercepted a pro-independence march by the JKLF here and arrested its chairman Yasin Malik and around a dozen supporters.

Malik appeared in Maisuma locality of Srinagar city to march to the city centre Lal Chowk where he was to announce his party’s “Quit Kashmir” agitation.

Police arrested Malik and around a dozen of his supporters who were taken to the nearly Kothi Bagh police station. Malik had gone underground a few days back to avoid arrest.

Authorities have imposed restrictions in Lal Chowk and adjacent areas to thwart the JKLF march.

Authorities Monday imposed restrictions on pedestrian and vehicular traffic in and around Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir as a separatist rally ‘Quit Kashmir’ was scheduled.

Heavy deployment of police and paramilitary force of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was made in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk area to prevent pro-independence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik from taking out a rally here.

Malik announced that he would start JKLF’s ‘Quit Kashmir’ movement Monday to seek attention of the international authorities on Kashmir and shift focus away from the debate over Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.

The JKLF chief told reporters that the debate on whether Article 370 that gives special status to the state should stay, is aimed at shifting the discourse from separatism to the centre-state relationship with regard to Kashmir.

While security forces have arrested a number of JKLF leaders to prevent the rally, Malik and many of his party leaders and activists have already gone underground.

Police also sealed the Maisuma locality adjacent to the Lal Chowk where the JKLF headquarters and Malik’s residence are.