Shops in Srinagar open in morning hours, but normal life remains disrupted
A few shops in the city opened on Wednesday (October 2) morning, but other markets and business establishments across the Kashmir Valley stayed shut for the 59th consecutive day.
Normal life in the valley has been disrupted following the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5. Article 370 of the Constitution granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Mobile services that had been suspended as a part of the shutdown in the Kashmir Valley hadn’t been restored except in Handwara and Kupwara areas in the north, while Internet services – across all platforms continued to be snapped in the valley, officials said.
They said that there are apprehensions that mobile and Internet services could be misused by anti-national elements to trigger violence. The decision on restoring the services would be taken at an appropriate time after assessing the situation, they added.
The officials said that there were no restrictions anywhere in the valley, but security forces were deployed in vulnerable areas to maintain law and order.
Also read: 144 juveniles detained in J&K after Article 370 abrogation: Report
Main markets and other business establishments across the valley remained shut on Wednesday. Some shops in the city here stayed open from 7:30 AM to 10:30 AM over the past few weeks, but extended their duration till 11 on Wednesday, the officials said.
Public transport was off the roads for the 59th consecutive day, they said. However, private cars were plying in many areas and few inter-district cabs and auto-rickshaws were seen plying in some areas of the city, they added.
Most of the separatist politicians at the top-level and second rung have been taken into preventive custody while two former chief ministers – Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, have been either placed under house arrest or detained.
Farooq Abdullah, who is Omar Abdullah’s father and a sitting Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar, has been arrested under the controversial Public Safety Act.