SRINAGAR: Barring Army convoy and vehicles carrying Amarnath pilgrims from Jammu, no other vehicle was allowed on the national highway, connecting the Kashmir valley with Jammu, which remained closed for the fourth day today as a precautionary measure.
Official sources said here more than 150 Amarnath pilgrims, who were stranded at Bhagwati Nagar base camp at Jammu, were allowed to move towards Baltal and Pahalgam base camps along with Army convoy under tight security arrangements this morning.
However, no other vehicle from Kashmir Valley or Jammu was allowed on the highway.
The closure of the 300-km-long highway has badly affected supply of essential commodities to the valley, though authorities claimed that enough stock was available here.
The highway was closed on Saturday following tension at several places on the other side of the Jawahar tunnel after clashes at Kishtwar on Friday in which three people were killed and several others were injured.
A traffic police official said here no vehicle was allowed from Srinagar to Jammu.
This was a precautionary measure, he said adding traffic will be resumed as and when a green signal is received from traffic police personnel deployed at different places on the highway.
Yatris, who had performed darshan and paid obeisance at the cave shrine since Friday, are also stranded at Baltal and Nunwan Pahalgam base camps. However, the number of such yatris was very less.
Official sources said a large number of vehicles, including those carrying passengers and trucks loaded with fruits were stranded at Qazigund and other places on this side of the tunnel. They said a large number of Kashmir bound passengers and trucks loaded with essentials were stranded at various places in Jammu.
This is for the second time the highway was closed because of protests and tension during the past one month.
Last month people protested at several places on the highway after four people were killed and several others were injured after BSF allegedly opened fire in Gool area of Ramban district.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
