Srinagar: Normal life was on Monday crippled due to a strike called by separatists and curfew like restrictions imposed by the authorities in the Kashmir valley following Prime Minister Narendar Modi's visit to Srinagar to address a rally at Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium.
Unprecedented security arrangements have been made in the entire city as Modi is scheduled to address an election rally at Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium in the high security Sonawar area. The rally comes just three days after terrorists attacked four towns of Kashmir valley leaving 11 security personnel dead.
The entire civil lines, including business hub of Polo View, Hari Singh High Street, Regal Chowk, Moulana Azad Road, Residency Road, Budshah Chowk, Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the summer capital, Gonikhan, Mahraj Bazar, Maisuma and Koker Bazar have been completely cordoned off to foil any attempt by terrorists to disrupt the rally.
Official sources said security forces have occupied all high rise buildings around Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium in Srinagar to keep a close watch on vehicular and pedestrian movements. Thirty paramilitary forces companies have been deployed in and around the stadium while sharp shooters have been deployed on Suliman Tang and Rustam Gali in the Dalgate area to secure the area and neutralize any threat.
Security forces have also closed two main bridges of Amira Kadal and Budshah bridge with barbed wire. The vehicular movement has been stopped in that area; however, some pedestrians were seen walking on the roads, though they were very few in number.
Meanwhile, the situation in downtown and Shehar-e-Khas (SeK) is entirely different as people allege that they were not allowed to leave their houses even to purchase essentials, including milk, bread and vegetables by the security forces since early Monday morning.
"We were asked to remain indoors by security forces as curfew was imposed in the area," the residents of Nallahmar told IBNLive over the phone.
However, there is no official announcement for any restriction in any part of the area.
Shops and other business establishments remained closed in the restriction free areas of the city and outskirts in response to the strike call. Transport also remained off the roads, but very few private vehicles could be seen plying in the uptown routes and bypass.
Government, private offices and banks also remained closed while educational institutions and tuition centre wore a deserted look.
In Baramulla, which is going to polls on Tuesday in the third phase of the five-phased Legislative Assembly, all bridges, connecting the old town with civil lines have been closed since early Monday morning.
Heavy deployment has been made in the entire town and outskirts to prevent any law and order problem following the strike call by separatists on PM's Srinagar visit. Similar reports were received from other districts of Kashmir valley.
Meanwhile, the Karvan-e-Aman bus service, operating between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) has also been cancelled for security reasons.
(Abid Soffi is the Managing Editor, Kashmir Pioneer.)
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