SRINAGAR : Majority vehicles, including those carrying Amarnath pilgrims from Jammu and Srinagar, reached their respective destinations after covering the 300-km-long distance during the night to avoid day travel in the Kashmir valley, where separatist organisations have extended strike till tomorrow.
Though the highway, linking the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country is through for traffic, but people prefer to travel during the night to avoid any protests during the day.
Official sources said that vehicles carrying Amarnath pilgrims which left Jammu yesterday in the afternoon have reached Baltal base camp early this morning safely under tight security arrangements. No pilgrims was taken to Nunwan Pahalgam base camp for security reasons as vehicles had to pass Anantnag.
Similarly, pilgrims who had arrived at Baltal base camp after paying obeisance at the cave shrine also left for Jammu early today. Vehicles carrying the pilgrims from Baltal have crossed the Banihal, they said, adding that they are moving towards Jammu.
Sources said that majority people, including truckers carrying essentials for Kashmir valley also, now prefer to travel during the night to avoid any untoward incident during the day.
Vehicles from Kashmir valley are also being allowed to travel to Jammu during the night, they said, adding that the process will continue till the situation improves.
A traffic police official confirmed that all the vehicles from Jammu and Srinagar were cleared on the highway. ”We were on the job during entire night,” he said.
The highway remained almost deserted during the day, particularly from Banihal to Srinagar though some local vehicles are plying from Banihal to Jammu, they said.
A large number of pilgrims had got stranded at Jammu and Baltal and Nunwan Pahalgam base camps when traffic on the highway was suspended for security reasons from July 10, a day after the death of top commander of Hibul Mujahideen (HM) Burhan Wani and two other militants in an encounter with security forces in Anantnag.
However, it was later decided to allow night travel instead of day on the highway to avoid demonstrations during day time, particularly in Kulgam and Anantnag district of south Kashmir.
Similar situation was witnessed on historic Mughal road, connecting the Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region. Traffic on the 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway was plying though with some restrictions, a traffic police spokesman said. (AGENCIES)
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