Revoke highway ban, Omar tells Govt, leads NC protest

National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Wednesday urged the J&K government to withdraw the ban on civilian traffic on the national highway, saying even the army has said they didn’t demand it.

“We are appealing to the government to reconsider thisorder. We don’t need this ban on traffic here. Army too has said that it didn’tmake any demand for the ban on traffic. Army has itself said that they don’twant this ban,” he said.

   

Omar led a protest march near Pantha Chowk here to “defy”the ban over civilian traffic on the national highway. Along with his partyleaders and activists, Omar held a sit-in on the national highway demandingrevocation of the order.

An order issued by the state home department on April 3banned the civilian traffic on the national highway, from Udhampur in Jammu toBaramulla in northern Kashmir, for two days a week. From 4am to 5pm everySunday and Wednesday, the 200-km stretch is open only for security forces’convoys.

Wednesday was the second day of the traffic ban that hasbeen widely criticised by both mainstream politicians and separatists besidescivil society groups.

On Tuesday, the High Court issued notices to the Unionministries of defence, home affairs and transport, the National HighwayAuthority of India (NHAI) and the state government, directing them to respondwithin two weeks to the pleas of three politicians and three lawyers seekingorders to scrap the ban.

“There cannot be absolute restrictions,” the division benchof Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Tashi Rabstan remarked.

Omar also referred to the statement of former chief of armystaff, general Ved Prakash Malik, who termed the national highway ban “dumbidea”.

“Kashmir. Ban on move of civ vehs on NH twice a week is adumb idea. Goes against core object of winning hearts & minds. Civil Admmust weigh pros & cons…” he tweeted today.

Responding to a separate question, Omar said Prime MinisterNarendra Modi will have to answer for Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s”endorsement” for his second term in the office.

“Modi will have to answer because it was Modi only who, tillnow, was saying that Pakistan and militants want the BJP to lose. Now it hasbecome clear today that it is the Pakistan which wants Modi to win again,” Omarsaid.

In an interview, Khan had said he believes there might be abetter chance of peace talks with India and settling the Kashmir issue if BJP wins.

In response to this tweet, Omar had said, “So much for ModiSahib telling the country only Pakistan & its sympathisers want BJP tolose. Imran Khan has just endorsed him for a 2nd term”.

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