The Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti Sunday asked people not to follow the ban imposed by the governor’s administration on movement of civilian traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar-Baramulla highway, saying the government of India “can’t suppress people of Kashmir through such tactics”.
“I appeal to everyone to not follow this ban. Defy this ban,take out your vehicles and go wherever you want to go,” Mehbooba told reportersat Nowgam highway here, where she led a protest by her party members againstthe controversial order banning movement of civilian traffic on the highway fortwo days a week to facilitate movement of forces’ convoys.
The governor’s administration last week announced that nocivilian traffic will be allowed on the highway from Baramulla through Srinagarup to Udhampur in Jammu province, on Sunday and Wednesday every week till May31. These days have been “exclusively dedicated” for movement of forces’convoys on the highway that passes through five major districts in Kashmir. Theban came into force on Sunday.
In Srinagar and elsewhere, all major link roads connectingto the highway were closed, putting people to immense inconvenience. Thegovernment has said that students, office-goers, patients and cases ofexigencies would be allowed to move on the highway “after proper permissionfrom the police and district magistrates”.
At several intersections on the highway in Srinagar, thegovernment had deployed magistrates to “facilitate movement of people in need”.
In Anantnag, a family struggled for three days to seekpermission from the state authorities for travelling to Doda in Jammu inconnection with a marriage ceremony of their son, Sunday.
Mehbooba said banning civilian traffic on the highway was”completely wrong”. “This is not an occupational force here. If the governmentof India thinks it can suppress people of Kashmir by taking such steps, it isunacceptable,” she said.
Mehbooba said she has come out of her home to “defy theban”.
“It will not work like this. Kashmir belongs to Kashmiris.It is unacceptable that people of Kashmir will have to seek permission formoving on roads now,” she said.
Announcing that the PDP will move court against the highwayban on Monday, Mehbooba said the “diktat” has put people including students,patients and daily commuters to tremendous hardships.
“We will not let it happen. We are going to challenge thisban in the court tomorrow (Monday),” Mehbooba said. “These roads belong to thepeople of Kashmir and whenever they want, they can ply their vehicles on theseroads”.
Earlier, members of PDP, including its former legislators,took out a separate protest march from PanthaChowk here to “defy” the highwayban.
Led by Muhammad Ashraf Mir and KhursheedAlam, the PDPmembers raised slogans against the governor’s administration over the ban andtravelled in their vehicles on the highway.
“This is an anti-people decision and should be revokedimmediately,” Alam told reporters.
He said the ban will have a negative impact on upcomingtourism season in Kashmir and it will leave education, business and othersectors in disarray in the Valley.
“Now a student and a patient have to get permission fromgovernment authorities to move on the highway. What kind of a situation havethey created? Will an injured person first rush to district commissioner’soffice to seek permission for reaching a hospital?” Alam asked.
“Is the governor’s administration trying to prove that oursecurity forces can’t protect the national highway? They are trying to create acolonial impression in Kashmir. This order (ban) needs to be withdrawnimmediately,” he said.
Mir termed the ban as “terrorism by state administration”.
“We have come out to protest against the ban. They can’tharass our people through such tactics. We will not let this ban succeed,” hesaid.
The party’s youth president Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra termedthe ban as unacceptable, saying the government of India was “again makingKashmir a battlefield for upcoming parliament elections”.
“This entire system of security is for people, but they areturning Kashmir into an operational ground and not a political ground. Theyneed a battle-field for the upcoming elections. Through these tactics (the ban)they are telling people of country that there is a crisis in Kashmir and thewar is against people of Kashmir. They are punishing Kashmiris,” said Parra.