Normal life remains affected in Kashmir, some shops open in morning hours

Normal life remained affected in Kashmir for the 61st consecutive day on Friday as main markets were shut and public transport was off the roads, officials said.

Few shops in some areas of the city here were open from 7:30 to 11:00 am, but downed their shutters afterwards, the officials said.

However, there were no restrictions anywhere in the valley, but security forces were deployed in strength in vulnerable areas to maintain law and order, they said.

They said auto-rickshaws and few inter-district cabs were seen plying here, but the other modes of public transport were off the roads.

The movement of private cars was lesser on Friday as compared to Thursday when the city had witnessed traffic jams at various places, they added.

Mobile services remained suspended in Kashmir except in Handwara and Kupwara areas in the north, while internet services -- across all platforms – continued to be snapped in the valley since the night of August 4, officials said.

The functioning of schools in Kashmir has remained affected since August 5 – when the Centre announced its decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution and to bifurcate the state into two Union territories.

The officials said the state government was trying its best to have normal functioning in schools, but its efforts failed again on Thursday as most parents continued to keep children at home due to apprehensions about their safety.

Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Baseer Khan had on Monday directed all Deputy Commissioners and concerned officers to ensure that all government schools as well as private institutions up to Higher Secondary level of the valley be open by Thursday and Colleges to open by or before October 9.

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.

Another former chief minister and sitting Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar Farooq Abdullah has been arrested under the controversial Public Safety act, a law enacted by his father and National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in 1978 when he was the chief minister.