Kashmiris throng weekly flea market in Srinagar

People thronged the weekly flea market in Jammu and Kashmir's summer capital on Sunday even as some shops in the city opened in the morning hours, officials said.

However, main markets across Kashmir were shut and most of the public transport was off the roads as normal life remained affected in the valley for the 63rd consecutive day, they said.

The weekly flea market, locally known as Sunday market, was open as several dozen vendors had put up stalls on the TRC Chowk-Lal Chowk road, the officials said.

They said the market witnessed huge rush of customers as people thronged it to buy clothes and other items in view of the approaching winter.

The officials said other markets and other business establishments in Kashmir remained shut, even as some shops in the city here were open till 11 am, but downed their shutters afterwards.

They said auto-rickshaws and few inter-district cabs were seen plying here, but other modes of public transport were off the roads.

The movement of private cars was lesser on Sunday as compared to Saturday, they added.

Mobile services remained suspended in Kashmir except in Handwara and Kupwara areas in the north, while Internet services -- across all platforms – continued to be snapped in the valley since the night of August 4, the officials said.

They said there were no restrictions anywhere in the valley, but security forces were deployed in strength in vulnerable areas to maintain law and order.

Most of the top-level and second-rung separatist politicians have been taken into preventive custody while mainstream leaders, including two former chief ministers -- Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, have been either detained or placed under house arrest.

Another former chief minister and sitting Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar Farooq Abdullah has been arrested under the controversial Public Safety Act.