SRINAGAR : Thousands of vehicles, including those carrying passengers, were stranded on 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, which has been closed for security reasons as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi were to flag off rail service between Banihal and Qazigund.
The authorities had announced that traffic on the highway would remain suspended till the inauguration of rail service.
Dr Singh and Ms Gandhi had to flag off rail service at Banihal in Jammu region to Qazigund in the south Kashmir, a major step to link the valley with the rest of the country through rail.
Vehicles, including those carrying local passengers and tourists, from Srinagar and north and central Kashmir were stopped at Pantha chowk.
However, security force’s vehicles and those holding valid security passes were allowed to move.
Mediapersons from Srinagar were also taken to Banihal in two State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) buses.
Vehicles which had crossed the Pantha chowk last evening, were stopped at Qazigund, the gateway of Kashmir on the highway also the only road connecting the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country.
Official sources said because of restrictions on traffic movement, thousands of vehicles, including those carrying local passengers and tourists got stranded on the highway at different places.
Similarly from Jammu, vehicles were stopped at several places, including Nagrota, Udhampur, Batote and Patnitop since this morning.
(AGENCIES)
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