Srinagar: Reacting to ban on civilian traffic movement on Srinagar-Jammu national highway for five hours every day till the completion of Amarnath yatra, J&K Peoples Movement president Shah Faesal said that Kashmiri people welcome pilgrims, ‘but this curfew should end’.
Dr Faesal, who is a former IAS-officer-turned-politician, said those signing orders to stop movement of locals must remember that there will be a day of reckoning.
“First time in last 30 years SXR-JMU NH was closed to civilian traffic during elections. Now closed again for Yatra. Those signing orders to stop movement of locals must remembr that there wl b a day of reckoning. We welcome Yatris to land of Shiva. But this curfew must end,” he wrote on micro-blogging site twitter.
The government said that a ban on 97-km stretch from Qazigund to Nashri between 1000 hrs to 1500 hrs has been imposed on the civilian traffic movement. “The ban will continue till the conclusion of the annual pilgrimage to holy cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas on August 15,” a government order read.
Meanwhile, after banning civilian traffic movement on the highway, the authorities have now announced that no trains will chug between Qazigund in south Kashmir to Banihal in Jammu region between 1000 hrs to 1500 hrs from Wednesday.
After the Pulwama fidayeen attack in February this year in which 44 CRPF personnel were killed, administration had banned civilian traffic along the highway for twice in a week on Sunday and Wednesday to ensure the safety security force convoys. The ban was later lifted after about two months.
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