Tight security for concert, strike in the Valley

Stringent security arrangements were in place today across the city to ensure smooth conduct of the music concert featuring world renowned orchestra conductor Zubin Mehta.

All the vehicles entering the commercial hub of Lal Chowk and surrounding areas are being frisked in view of the the musical event 'Ehsaas-e-Kashmir' in Shalimar Garden on the banks of Dal Lake later in the evening.

The authorities sealed off the famous Boulevard Road along the banks of Dal Lake, leading the venue of the concert, this morning as a precautionary measure following threats from little-known militant outfits.

A strike has been called by hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani today to protest against the music concert by the German Embassy but there was no report of any untoward incident from anywhere in the Valley.

Shops, business establishments and educational institutes remained closed in most parts of the Valley, sources said.

Public transport remained off the roads but some private vehicles could be seen plying, the sources said.