Normal life remained affected in the Kashmir Valley for the 52nd consecutive day on Wednesday with public transport off the roads even as few vendors set up stalls here, officials said. Main markets and other business establishments continued to remain closed, However, few vendors set up stalls on the TRC Chowk-Lal Chowk axis here. Public transport was largely off the roads, even as few inter-district cabs and auto-rickshaws were seen plying in some areas of the city, the officials said. Movement of private cars was unhindered, they added. There was no classwork in schools as efforts of the state government to open educational institutions have not borne any fruit as parents continued to keep children at home due to apprehensions about their safety, the officials said. Mobile services remained suspended in Kashmir except in Handwara and Kupwara areas in the north, while Internet services — across all platforms also continued to be snapped in the valley, they said. They said the authorities would take a call on the resumption of mobile as well as Internet services, especially leased-line and BSNL Broadband, at an appropriate time. There are apprehensions of mobile and Internet services being misused by anti-national elements to fuel violence in the valley, they added. The officials said there were no restrictions anywhere in the valley, but the deployment of security forces continued in vulnerable areas to maintain law and order. Restrictions were first imposed across Kashmir on 5 August when the Centre announced its decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcate the state into two Union territories. The restrictions were lifted in phases from many parts of the valley. 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, a law enacted by his father and National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in 1978 when he was the chief minister.
