Separatist-sponsored strike disrupts normal life in Valley

Police say, movement of people and transport is less on Friday compared to the other days due to apprehensions of law and order problems

There was less movement of people and transport across Kashmir on Friday as normal life remained affected due to the strike called by separatists.

The movement of people and transport is less on Friday compared to the other days due to apprehensions of law and order problems after Friday congregational prayers, a police official said.

He said most of the shops, fuel stations and business establishments in Srinagar — the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir — were shut due to the strike, while public transport was comparatively less.

However, few of them were open in some areas in the civil lines as well as on the outskirts of the city in Srinagar, the official said.

Few vendors had put up their stalls along TRC Chowk-Batamaloo axis through Lal Chowk city centre, he said.

Reports of less traffic and most of the shops being closed were received from other district headquarters of the Valley, he said.

Except for the past weekend, Kashmir has witnessed shutdown for the last 140 days.

The separatists, who are spearheading the agitation since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces on July 8, have been issuing weekly protest programmes.

They have extended the strike till December 1, announcing two full days of relaxation on the weekend like the past week.

As many as 86 people, including two cops, have been killed and several thousand others injured in the ongoing unrest in the Valley.Around 5000 security forces personnel have also been injured in the clashes.