From Wednesday morning, Muhammad Amin Najar and Bashir Ahmad Naik saw the desperation of people—patients, employees and mourners—in getting a travel permit to move along the Srinagar-Anantnag national highway which had been closed for civilian traffic.
Najar and Naik are among officials deputed by the governmentto facilitate movement of civilians who are in “dire need” of travelling alongthe national highway during the restriction period.
The deployment of these officials has come in wake of acontroversial order banning movement of civilian traffic along theSrinagar-Jammu national highway on Sunday and Wednesday every week tofacilitate movement of security forces’ convoys.
“People have been coming to us from the morning (for travelpermits). We have seen patients, employees, students and mourners making pleasfor issuance of the travel passes,” Najar and Naik together told GreaterKashmir, sitting on chairs at Galander crossing near Pampore.
An elderly man from Keegam, who was driving his scooty,stopped at the junction and showed his travel pass to the security forces,before being allowed to proceed.
At Lethpora, where the February 14 suicide attack tookplace, skeletal private vehicles and forces’ vehicles were seen plyingoccasionally. At most shops selling handicrafts, dry fruits and localmerchandise, there were no shoppers.
“On a day when there are no travel restrictions, severaltourist vehicles would stop here and buy goods from us. Till this (Wednesday)afternoon, some eight to 10 vehicles have stopped here,” said Wahid Ahmad Bhat,a shopkeeper at Lethpora.
In view of the highway ban, Muhammad Shafi Reshi, anothershopkeeper, said he has postponed the plan to buying merchandise for his shopfrom Srinagar.