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Shutdown in poll bound areas

MAJID NABI. Dated: 10/11/2018 3:02:46 PM

SRINAGAR, Oct 10: Following Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) shutdown and subsequent election boycott call, complete shutdown was observed in the areas where polling for second phase of civic elections was held in Kashmir today.
The call was given by Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) headed by Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik as a mark of protest against what they termed “sham” elections.
The leadership has also asked people to boycott ongoing ULB and Panchayat polls which they claimed are aimed at strengthening occupational forces in disputed territory.
Offices, banks and educational institutions were shut on account of elections in the areas which underwent polling for second phase of civic body elections.
Thin movement of traffic was witnessed on roads while most of the shops remained closed in Srinagar and elsewhere, although there was no general strike call given by the separatist leadership.
Authorities had put in place adequate arrangements of security as a precautionary measure in poll bound areas while local police and paramilitary forces had laid checkpoints at various places to avoid any uncertainty.
Authorities as a precautionary measure reduced high speed 3g and 4g mobile internet to mere 128kbps in Srinagar city and the areas where ULB election for second phase was conducted.
Most of the shops in major marketplaces like city centre Lal Chowk, Jamai Masjid, Hari Singh High Street remained closed amid additional deployment of police and paramilitary forces.
Train service from Baramulla to Banihal and vice versa was also suspended following separatists shutdown against ULB elections.
Officials said the adequate security arrangements were put in place in those areas where second phase of election was held. He said the day passed off peacefully with no report of any untoward incident received from anywhere.
Reports of shutdown were also received from other parts of the valley in the wake of JRL shutdown and subsequent election boycott call.