J&K: Hundreds stranded as civilian traffic ban on highway starts today

Heavy security has been deployed along the highway from Baramulla to Udhampur to make sure that the ban on civilian traffic is maintained.

The measure is taken to keep the road open exclusively for convoys of the security forces every Sunday and Wednesday, said reports.

The ban was deemed to be necessitated to prevent any attack on the convoys of security forces like the one happened in Pulwama in February which left 40 CRPF jawans killed.

However, arrangements of special travel passes for emergency services are in place and duty magistrates have been deployed along the highway to issue the same.

As a result, hundreds of vehicles have been stranded at the intersections.

People have been seen pleading with the police to let them access the highway.

In Anantnag district, a groom was granted a travel pass by the district magistrate to use the highway for his wedding, said reports.

Besides the groom, 12 more people in four vehicles were allowed for the wedding party.

Oppositions' stand:

The oppositions, however, criticised the ban on the highway and said alternative measures should be taken instead of such "drastic step."

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted: "Driving to Uri I’m getting to see first hand the extent of disruption & inconvenience that is being caused to people because of the mindless highway closure order that is in place today."

Pulwama terror attack:

Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a massive terror attack on Feb 14 where at least 40 Indian paramilitary forces personnel were killed when a terrorist of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed had driven an explosive-laden minivan along a 78-vehicle convoy of the Central Reserve Police Force and detonated it.

The Pulwama attack incident was criticised across India.

Following the attack, the Indian Air Force (IAF) had conducted airstrike across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).