Srinagar: Life returned to normal in Kashmir after remaining crippled yesterday due to restrictions and strike called by separatists against civilian killings and frequent restrictions and curfew in the Valley.
However, shops and business establishments remained closed and traffic was off the roads for the second day Saturday in central Kashmir’s Beerwah, where a youth was killed in security force firing Friday this week.
Official sources said that there were no restrictions in any part of Srinagar city Saturday.
The situation was normal in summer capital, Srinagar, where restrictions under section 144 CrPc were imposed yesterday within the territorial jurisdiction of police station Khanyar, Nowhatta, Rainawari, M R Gunj and Safa Kadal in the downtown and SeK, Kralkhud in the old city and Maisuma and Ram Munshibagh in the civil lines to maintain law and order.
Both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, spearheading the agitation, demanding right to self determination, had called for strike and United National Military Observers (UNMO) office challo to organise a sit-in after Friday prayers.
All road blocks were removed by the security forces and shops and business establishments reopened this morning in the down town and Shehar-e-Khas (SeK), where traffic was plying normally on all routes.
Security forces and State police personnel, who were deployed around the historic Jamia Masjid, were Friday prayers were not allowed Friday this week, have also been withdrawn.
All business establishments, which were closed yesterday due to strike called by separatists, were working normally in the civil lines, including historic Lal Chowk, the nerve-centre of the summer capital, Budshah chowk, Hari Singh High Street (HSHS), Regal Chowk, Moulana Azad Road and Residency Road.
Traffic was plying normally on all routes in civil lines, including Sonawar, where roads were closed yesterday to foil UNMO office march called by separatists.
The situation was no different in uptown, where shops and business establishments opened early this morning while traffic was plying on all roads.
Meanwhile, the situation has returned to normal in south and north Kashmir, where shops and business establishments opened and traffic was plying on all roads after day-long strike yesterday.
Reports of normalcy were also received from central Kashmir districts of Ganderbal and Budgam, barring Beerwah, where normal life remained crippled due to strike against killing of a youth in security force firing yesterday.
