Hundreds stranded as civilian traffic ban on highway begins today

SRINAGAR: In Jammu and Kashmir, the ban on civilian traffic for two days a week on an important highway is beginning today. Heavy security has been deployed along the 270-km-long highway from Baramulla to Udhampur to enforce the ban on civilian traffic, so that the road is kept open exclusively for convoys of the security forces every Sunday and Wednesday.

The ban was imposed to prevent any attack similar to the suicide bombing on Jammu-Srinagar highway in February that killed 40 CRPF soldiers.

The officials said that duty magistrates have been deployed along the highway to issue special travel passes for emergency services.

Since early morning, hundreds of vehicle are stranded on intersections and people are seen pleading with the police and security forces to allow them to move on. But no civilian vehicle is allowed to use the highway.