Restrictions Continue In Parts Of Kashmir

Restrictions continued in parts of Kashmir on Saturday as the shutdown in the Valley intensified with markets closed and public transport off the roads for the 55th consecutive day, officials said. Restrictions were in place in Downtown (interior areas) of Srinagar city, they said. Security has been strengthened in other areas and barricades and razor wires were put in place, they added. While the officials remained tight-lipped, there were reports of late-night protests in many parts of the Valley on Friday night soon after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s address to the UN General Assembly. Sloganeering by protesters could be heard on public address systems of mosques in several parts of Kashmir on Friday night. The effect of the protests was visible on Saturday morning as the shutdown intensified. There was lesser movement of private cars and most shops did not open in the early morning hours, a routine that had become new normal in the city for the past couple of weeks, the officials said.