Early Times Report
Srinagar, Nov 6 : Large number of vendors and private transport are out in the summer capital, Srinagar, though shops and business establishments remained closed as strike entered 121st day today in the Kashmir valley, where impact of separatist strike continued in district and tehsil headquarters.
The gates of historic Jamia Masjid, where no Friday prayers could be offered for the past 18 weeks, in the Shehar-e-Khas (SeK) remained closed. However, locals said last evening prayers were offered in the Masjid, stronghold of chairman of moderate Hurriyat Conference (HC) Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq.
Police said there is curfew or restrictions on assembly of people in any part of the valley though deployment of security forces would continue.
Both the factions of the HC and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), spearheading the agitation since July 9, a day after Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Burhan Wani and two other militants were killed in Anantnag, have already extended the strike till November 10. However, there is relaxation in the strike from 1600 hrs till 0700 hrs tomorrow.
A Large number of vendors are out at "Sunday Market" in the heart of the city, though the number of customers remained less as people from district and other parts of the valley could not come due to non availability of transport. Vendors had put up their stalls from Radio Kashmir, Srinagar, crossing to Hari Singh High Street (HSHS), including historic Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the summer capital, where the civil secretariat , seat of the government, including office of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti Sayeed and her other cabinet colleagues were closed here last week to reopen in Jammu tomorrow.
Selling from simple needle to carpets besides warm and woolen cloths as winter has already set in, the vendors said for the past about four months, they had suffered heavy losses.
Shops and business establishments remained closed and traffic was off the roads. However, private transport was plying on all roads.
Large number of security forces and police personnel remained deployed in the city, including Residency road, Moulana Azad road, Maisuma and other areas. Similar situation was witnessed in other parts of the civil lines, including Batmaloo, HSHS, Dalgate and Gonikhan. |
