Vendors set up stalls in Srinagar as weekly flea market opens

The weekly flea market in the city was open on Sunday while some other markets were open till noon, the self-imposed deadline of operations in Kashmir, officials said.

They said the weekly-flea market, locally known as 'Sunday Market' was open as several dozens of vendors had set-up theirstalls on the TRC Chowk-Jehangir Chowk axis through theLal Chowk city centre.

Private cars were plying unhindered and auto-rickshaws and few inter-district cabs were also seen plying in the city here and elsewhere in the valley, they said.

However, the other modes of public transport were off the roads, they added.

The official saidwhile the situation across the valley so far was peaceful, the deployment of security forces continued in vulnerable areas of the city and elsewhere in the valley for maintaining law and order.

Landline and postpaid mobile phone services were working across the valley, but all Internet services continued to remain suspended since August 4 -- hours before the Centre announced the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories.

Most of the top-level and second-rung separatist politicians have been taken into preventive custody, while mainstream leaders including two former chief ministers -- Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti -- have been either detained or placed under house arrest.

The government has detained former chief minister and sitting Lok Sabha Member of Parliament from Srinagar Farooq Abdullah under the controversial Public Safety Act.