Kashmir Valley remains peaceful, normal life still affected

Security forces have been deployed at many market places to instill a sense of security among the public, officials said

Summer capital Srinagar witnessed significant improvement in public transport on Thursday even as normal life elsewhere in the Valley remained affected due to the strike called by separatists.

Many people have started defying the separatist-sponsored strike over the past week, as they are slowly picking up the threads of their lives affected by the nearly four-month-long strike, officials said.

While there is increased movement of private traffic in the summer capital, the city has also witnessed a significant improvement in the public transport, except buses, they said.

The officials said the inter-district transport has also improved as many cabs were plying on the routes connecting Srinagar with other districts like Anantnag and Baramulla.

They said as the traffic in the city has significantly increased, additional traffic police personnel have been deployed at some intersections to ensure smooth flow of traffic.

Many shops were also open in the civil lines and the outskirts of the city, while many street vendors set up stalls at many places around the commercial hub of Lal Chowk.

However, normal life continued to remain affected in the rest of the Valley due to separatist-sponsored strike.

While there were no curbs on the movement of people anywhere in Kashmir, the officials said restrictions on assembly of four or more people were in place throughout the Valley for maintaining law and order.

They said security forces have been deployed in strength at vulnerable spots and along the main roads as a precautionary measure.

Security forces have also been deployed at many market places to instill a sense of security among the public to carry out their day-to-day activities, the officials said.

Shops, business establishments and fuel stations remained shut and are not expected to open this evening as separatists have not given any relaxation.

The separatists, who are spearheading the agitation have been issuing weekly protest calendars since Hizbul Mujahideen Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8. They have extended the strike till November 3.

The ongoing unrest in Kashmir, apart from business and tourism, has also affected education as schools, colleges and other educational institutions continue to remain shut in the Valley.