The Government of Jammu and Kashmir Civil Secretariat issued an order on the 3rd of April to ban civil traffic on a 270 kilometer highway connecting Baramulla and Udhampur on Sunday’s and Wednesday’s. The highway will be kept open only for movement of security forces.
The ban was imposed to prevent any attack suicide bombing on Jammu-Srinagar highway like the one occurred on the 14th of February that killed 40 CRPF soldiers.
Duty magistrates have been deployed along the highway to issue special travel passes for emergency services.
The first ban day of the ban was observed on the 7th of April, hundreds of vehicles were stranded, people pleaded with police to let them pass however the movement of civilian vehicles wasn’t allowed.
The traffic ban will worsen the economic situation in the state, trader and movement of goods would be affected. Jammu and Kashmir has most of the time remained tense, but never such an order was imposed. The opposition called the traffic ban, “humanitarian crisis”. Mehbooba Mufti asked people to defy the ban, and asked the government to take back the circular, if not be dragged to court.
Source : Various
Opinion : Nikhil Kukreja
The blanket ban on traffic movement totally displays how the government of the day destroyed the peace and stability in the valley. The move which may do good to the army, is terrible for the localities and daily wage labourers. The already failing economy is the state, would only put more strain to its peoples pockets. The authorities need more alternate plans to fight terrorism in the valley, deep introspection and outreach programs should top their charts. This bizarre rule was not enforced when the nation went to war with Pakistan or China, then why now?