The ban on movement of civilian traffic on the highway from Baramulla to Udhampur for two days a week came into force on Sunday causing inconvenience to the public.
The move has drawn flak from various sections of thesociety.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullahdescribed the ban as ‘mindless’.
“Driving to Uri I’m getting to see first hand the extent ofdisruption & inconvenience that is being caused to people because of themindless highway closure order that is in place today,” Omar said on Twitter.
A senior journalist wrote on social media that people goingto attend the election rallies have also been stopped from travelling on thehighway.
“Scenes & videos from the Highway in #Kashmir are areality check at a time when government is conducting #elections. Some peoplegoing to rallies in north #Kashmir also stopped. First day of weekly two daytravel ban on #Highway (Sun&Wed) for movement of convoys of troopers,” hewrote.
Another senior journalist, who also posted a video, saidthat the common people are sandwiched between devil and the deep sea.
“It’s a unofficial marathon for ppl who want to reach theredestinations using national highway today …really feel for my ppl, for thecommon man…sandwiched between the devil and the deep blue sea, …,” he wroteand posted a video.
To facilitate the movement of security convoys for theparliamentary polls starting April 11, the government has banned civiliantraffic twice a week (from 4 am to 5 pm on Sunday and Wednesday) on a 270-kmstretch of the highway from Udhampur in Jammu to Baramulla in Kashmir.
The order shall remain in force till May 31.