Life returns to normal after daylong strike in Kashmir
Srinagar, Oct 9: Life returned to normal on Tuesday in Kashmir valley after remaining crippled for a day due to a strike called by separatists, when polling for the first of the four phased Urban Local Bodies (ULB) elections was held.
Restrictions, imposed in the downtown Srinagar as a precautionary measure to prevent protests on Monday, were also lifted.
A low voter turnout was recorded as majority of the electorates stayed away in the first of the four phase Municipal elections held on Monday in the 57 wards of Kashmir valley amidst unprecedented security arrangements following general strike called by separatists and apprehension of militant attempt to disrupt the process.
Joint Resistance Alliance (JRL) had called for a general strike on Monday against the ULB polls. The separatists had also urged people to boycott the elections.
Shops and business establishments are doing normal business and traffic on all routes was plying normally in summer capital, Srinagar, and other major towns and tehsil headquarters in the valley, where train service resumed after remaining suspended for a day due to security reasons.
All the shops were open in the main business hubs in civil lines, including historic Lal Chowk, Gonikhan, Residency Road, Maulana Azad Road, Mahraj Bazar, Batamaloo, Iqbal Park, Dalgate, Regal Chowk and Budshah Chowk.
The situation was no different in the uptown, where shops and business establishments reopened after day-long strike on Monday. Security force and state police personnel deployed in the Jamia Market to prevent people from entering the worship place on Monday have been withdrawn and shops have reopened early this morning in the area.
Reports of normalcy were also received from other parts of the Valley, including Baramulla, Sopore, Bandipora and Pattan in north Kashmir and Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian in south Kashmir.
However, security forces remained deployed in some sensitive areas to prevent any law and order problem.
Business and other activities also resumed in the twin central Kashmir districts of Budgam and Ganderbal.