After 133 days of violent protests and shutdown, Kashmir Valley returned to normality on Saturday as separatists suspended their protests for the weekend.
All shops, business establishments, offices and educational institutions opened for the first time since the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani in an encounter with the security forces on July 8.
Though the situation in the Valley had been by and large peaceful over the past few weeks with people defying the separatists’ strike call, it was for the first time in more than four months that markets opened in the city centre Lal Chowk and its adjoining areas.
In many places, students were seen rushing to schools. Board exams in Kashmir commenced a few days ago. Officials said attendance in government offices, banks and educational institutions was almost full for the first time since the unrest began.
Public vehicles were seen plying in Srinagar and on the inter-district roads. “Transporters were the worst affected. As the earlier relaxation hours began only in the evening, we could not take out vehicles,” said Abdul Hamid, a minibus driver who operates services from Lal Chowk to Soura and back. He said he plied his vehicle four times to and fro.
The authorities had also removed security forces from most areas of the Valley, including old city Srinagar. People thronged markets in large numbers amid intermittent traffic jams on all major city roads throughout the day.
There were no untoward incidents anywhere and the police, too, described the situation as peaceful.
Since July 9, huge protest rallies had been the order of the day in rural areas of the four districts of South Kashmir – Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian.
The unrest has left 86 people dead and thousands, including security personnel, injured. More than 60 people were killed in the South Kashmir districts alone.
The separatists have been issuing weekly protest programmes.
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