Thursday 14th May, 2026
Srinagar, Mar 8: (UNI) Normal life was on Friday crippled due to a strike called by separatists against slapping of Public Safety Act (PSA) on JKLF chief Mohammad Yasin Malik and arrest spree in the valley, besides banning of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI).
Restrictions under Section 144 CrPC were imposed in the areas falling under the jurisdiction of M R Gunj, Nowhatta, Rainawari, Safa Kadal and Khanyar in the downtown and Maisuma in the civil lines as a precautionary measure to prevent any law and order problem.
Meanwhile, all gates of historic Jamia Masjid, stronghold of moderate Hurriyat Conference (HC) chairman Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq, have also been locked and nobody was being allowed to enter the worship place.
Shops and business establishments were closed and traffic was off the road in Srinagar though few private vehicles, besides cabs and three-wheelers, could be seen plying on some routes. But, roadsides vendors, selling fruits and vegetables, have setup their stalls, mostly in uptown areas.
Business and other activities were crippled in main business hubs of the city, including historic Lal Chowk, the nerve-centre of summer capital, Budshah Chowk, Regal Chowk, Maisuma, Hari Singh High Street (HSHS), Batmaloo, Moulana Azad Road, Residency Road and Dalgate.
Work in government offices and banks was also affected due to strike in the valley. However, educational institutions remained closed in view of government extending winter vacation till March 10.
Additional security forces, wearing bullet proof jackets and holding weapons and lathis in their hands, were seen patrolling the streets in the city to prevent any untoward incident.
Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) — comprising Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq and Mohammad Yaseen Malik — on Thursday urged people to hold a complete shutdown on Friday against mass arrests, banning of JeI and alleged attempts to tamper with Article 35-A.
Hundreds of security forces and state police personnel were deployed in major towns and tehsil headquarters to stop protests, said a report from north Kashmir, where business and other activities were crippled and traffic was off the roads in support of the strike.
Life also came to a grinding halt in central Kashmir districts of Budgam and Ganderbal in support of the strike called by separatists.
A report from Anantnag said life was crippled in this and other south Kashmir towns and tehsil headquarters, where shops were closed and traffic was off the road in support of the strike. Additional security forces have been deployed in entire south Kashmir, including Anantnag, Pulwama and Shopian, to prevent any law and order problem.
Business and other activities continued to remain closed for the fourth successive day on Friday at Tral in Pulwama, where two militants were killed in an encounter with security forces.