Shops and business establishments remained closed while traffic was off the roads in Kashmir on Thursday as the Valley observed a shutdown on the call of the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL).
The JRL comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq andMuhammad Yasin Malik had called for Valley-wide shutdown on the first day ofthe LokSabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir, and also against the NationalInvestigation Agency’s action against the separatist leadership.
While business establishments in Srinagar and elsewhereremained closed for the day, thin attendance of employees was reported ingovernment and private offices. Shutdown was also observed in all districtheadquarters in Kashmir. However, the inter-district transport service pliednormally.
The government had made elaborate security arrangementsalong the national highway and other vital road links, where heavy presence ofsecurity forces personnel was seen.
The authorities had suspended train services for the day asa “precautionary measure”.
Officials said the polling took place in a “peacefulmanner.” Mobile internet services were also snapped in poll-bound districts aswell as in southern Kashmir as a “precautionary measure”, they said.