Early Times Report
Srinagar, Aug 6: As protests are continuing in Kashmir the, Jammu Kashmir Government is mulling to handover Srinagar-Jammu National Highway to Army to ensure smooth plying of vehicular traffic including convoy.
Highly placed sources revealed to Early Times that Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Army’s Northern Command Chief Lt Gen DS Hooda discussed the issue earlier this week.
They said that duo during the meeting observed that to restore normalcy on National Highway was important as Kashmir is short of many essential services while as shutdown enforcers mostly teenagers damage ambulances, vehicles and target innocent civilians for visiting hospitals.
“There have been several reports of teenagers enforcing shutdown and resorting to extortion, frisking ambulances, vehicles and assaulting civilians including ill,” sources said, justifying the decision.
However, they said, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is yet to give it final nod. “Officially Chief Minister hasn’t yet given the green signal to Army,” they said.
Official sources said that excluding Srinagar, Army will later also take control of Internal Kashmir excluding Srinagar to restore normalcy in the region which is currently witnessing mayhem.
“On August 15 people on Hurriyat;s call will try to march towards the venues were Independence Day functions are being held and will try to occupy these venues,” intelligence sleuths have already warned the state government according to highly placed sources.
“Bringing Army on forefront will yield positive results,” a top bureaucrat, pleading anonymity told Early Times.
Pertinently, since past 29 days vehicular traffic including army convoy has remained suspended on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, although traffic plys on the highway during night but the breaching of highway at Lethpora by locals has become a cause of worry for the state government as there is every possibility that protesters can repeat such attempts.
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