Srinagar:  Despite rain 270-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only all weather road connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, was through for one-way traffic on Thursday.

There was also fresh snowfall on 86-km-long historic Mughal road, linking Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, which remained closed for the past about three months.

The 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway, the only road connecting Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh with Kashmir, also remained closed for the past about three months due to accumulation of six feet to 12 feet of snow besides slippery road conditions.

Only one-way traffic will continue to ply on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway till further orders, a traffic police official told UNI this morning. There was rain and Met department has forecast for rain and snow during the next 24 hours which could affect traffic movement. However, so far traffic was plying normally despite rain, he said.

Today traffic will ply from Srinagar to Jammu and no vehicle will be allowed from opposite direction, he said. However, he said, Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) will have to cross Qazigund, gateway of Kashmir, between 0700 hrs to 1300 hrs. Later, Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) will be allowed in the afternoon, he added.

Meanwhile, there was no change in the situation as the 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway, the only road linking Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh with Kashmir remained closed for the past over two months. There is more than 6 feet to 12 feet of snow on the highway, including at Zojila pass, which has frozen due to below freezing temperature.

Similarly, the historic Mughal road and Anantnag-Kishtwar road remained closed due to accumulation of snow for the past two months. These roads are likely to reopen in March-April, officials said. There was fresh snowfall since early this morning on both the roads.

Itanagar: Reaffirming the government’s commitment to protecting the unique culture of the Northeast, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday misinformation was spread after abrogation of Article 370 that identical fate awaited Article 371 in the region.

Most of the states that have special provisions under Article 371 are in the Northeast. These provisions are aimed at preserving their cultural heritage and customary laws.

Addressing a gathering to mark the 34th foundation day of Arunachal Pradesh, Shah said the Northeast was only geographically united with the rest of India before 2014 when Narendra Modi assumed office of the prime minister.

“The real emotional integration of the region with the rest of the country happened only under the Modi government,” he said.

Shah said,”Misinformation was spread after abrogation of Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, that Article 371 will also be scrapped. It will never happen. Nobody has any such intention.”

Referring to the problems of militancy and inter-state boundary disputes in the region, the home minister said the Modi government was committed to their resolution.

“When we come to seek your votes in 2024, the Northeast will have been free from problems like militancy and inter-state strife,” he said.

Srinagar: The Jammu & Kashmir government has directed double shift work for completing languishing development projects in the Union Territory.

Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Baseer Ahmad Khan on Thursday issued strict directions to the engineers of Jammu & Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC) and Jammu & Kashmir Housing Board (JKHB) to complete the pending works on languishing projects within the given time frame by working double shifts.

He issued the direction while chairing a meeting to review the progress on languishing projects being executed by JKPCC and JKHB.

28 works (24 bridges and 4 hospitals) at a cost of Rs 213 crore are being executed by JKPCC on which 70 per cent construction work has been completed. While, 23 works (21 New Type Primary Health Centres (NTPHC), 1 district hospital and 1 community centre) costing Rs 39 crore are being executed by JKHB on which 60 per cent construction work stands completed.

Khan said any laxity will invite disciplinary action. JKPCC and JKHB authorities were asked to send monthly progress reports of all works.

Srinagar: Three former Chief Ministers and several heads of different mainstream political parties continued to remain under detention in the valley, where most political parties have reacted sharply on setting up a Commission to initiate delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, the political parties in the newly created Union Territory (UT) of Jammu & Kashmir have welcomed deferment of bypolls to over 12,500 panchayat seats that had been scheduled to be held in eight phases from March 5. The parties said that the atmosphere was not conducive for elections in view of continued detention of top politicians and gag on political activity since abrogation of special status of J&K.

Chief electoral officer Shailendra Kumar on Tuesday said the bypolls had been postponed by three weeks due to security concerns, almost a week after he announced the schedule for the elections.

Three main political parties — Congress, National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) — have welcomed the decision of the Election Commission (EC) and termed the deferment a sensible move. Over 60 per cent of seats in the Valley remained vacant in 2018 as NC and PDP had boycotted panchayat elections amid concerns over the erstwhile state’s special status.

“The problem of the centre is that it doesn’t take into confidence people while talking public interest decision… and nothing interests people more than getting their representative elected whether it is in panchayat or Assembly elections. They have a crocked sense of democracy. Most of the vacant seats are in Kashmir and as we know the situation in not conducive to hold polls as top leadership of political parties are in custody. So it is a welcome step by EC to defer the polls,” NC additional general secretary Mustafa Kamal said.

Terming the deferment of bypolls is a good move, a Congress leader said that his party had raised several issues over the conduct of the polls with the EC.

Similar views were expressed by leaders of other political parties in the valley.

Meanwhile, majority of these leaders, including 3 ex CMs—Dr Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti—and several dozens of other leaders were detained on August 5, when centre scrapped Article 370, 35 A besides divided the state into two Union Territories (UTs). However, about 30 leaders, including former ministers and legislators, were released after they gave an undertaking that they will not raise the issue of abrogation of special status of the state.

Dr Abdullah, president of the National Conference (NC), vice president Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba President Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), NC general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar and Peoples Movement chief Dr Shah Faesal have been booked under Public Safety Act (PSA).

Over 300 leaders, mostly separatists and stone pelters have also been arrested under PSA in the valley since the imposition of Governor and later Presidents rule after PDP-BJP, headed by Mehbooba, collapsed when saffron withdraw from the alliance in June 2019.

However, over 30 leaders, including former ministers and legislators, were released after they gave in writing that they will not raise the issue of scrapping of abrogation of special status of the erstwhile state after their release.

Official sources said that PSA was slapped on Dr Faesal who heads Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement (JKPM). These leaders reportedly refused to sign a affidavit that they will not raise the issue of special status of the state.

Omar Abdullah’s detention has been challenged in the Supreme Court by his sister. The Apex court has fixed next date of hearing on March 2 after issuing notice to Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory (UT) administration.

Peoples Conference (PC) chairman Sajjad Gani Lone, who was a minister in PDP-BJP coalition government from Saffron party quota, was released from Sub jail and later put under house arrest.

There are still about 13 former ministers and legislators detained in Sub jail MLA hostel. The leaders under detention since August 5 included, former minister and chief spokesperson of PDP-BJP coalition government Naeem Akhtar, who was also booked under PSA.

A large number of separatist leaders, including spokespersons of both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference (HC), JKLF chief Mohammad Yaseen Malik, Democratic Freedom Party (DPF) Shabir Ahmad Shah besides Kashmir Bar Association (KBA) Mian Abdul Qayoum also remained under detention. Majority of them are detained in Delhi’s jail and other state prisons.

Srinagar: Former political advisor and close aide of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti, Peer Mansoor, was booked under Pubic Safety Act (PSA) by the Jammu and Kashmir administration.  With this, nine mainstream political leaders, including three former chief ministers, have been booked under PSA since abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35 A, besides bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories (UTs) on August 5.

Official sources said that Mansoor was served a dossier on Wednesday night informing him that he has been booked under PSA at the MLA hostel, where he was being kept. Mansoor, a former legislator, was also detained ahead of August 5.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference (NC) Vice President Abdullah were on February 6 booked under the PSA – a stringent law that allows detention without trial for up to three months and multiple extensions. Two more leaders, NC General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar and PDP leader Sartaj Madna were also charged under PSA. The order came on the last day of their six-month detention without charges.

Senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and chief spokesperson in PDP-BJP coalition government Naeem Akhtar, Hilal Lone, son of National Conference (NC) Member of Parliament (MP) Akbar Lone and IAS topper turned politician Dr Shah Faesal, who heads Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement (JKPM), were also booked under PSA earlier this month. These leaders reportedly refused to sign an affidavit that they will not raise the issue of special status of the state.

NC president and MP from Srinagar Farooq Abdullah, who was in September last year slapped with PSA, also remained under detention at his Srinagar residence.

Over 300 leaders, mostly separatists and stone pelters have also been arrested under PSA in the valley since the imposition of Governor and later Presidents rule after PDP-BJP, headed by Mehbooba, collapsed when saffron withdraw from the alliance in June 2019.

However, over 30 leaders, including former ministers and legislators, were released after they gave in writing that they will not raise the issue of scrapping of abrogation of special status of the erstwhile state after their release.

Omar Abdullah’s detention has been challenged in the Supreme Court by his sister. The Apex court has fixed next date of hearing on March 2 after issuing notice to Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory (UT) administration.

Peoples Conference (PC) chairman Sajjad Gani Lone, who was a minister in PDP-BJP coalition government from Saffron party quota, was released from Sub jail and later put under house arrest.

There are still about 13 former ministers and legislators detained in Sub jail MLA hostel. The leaders under detention since August 5 included, former minister and chief spokesperson of PDP-BJP coalition government Naeem Akhtar, who was also booked under PSA.

A large number of separatist leaders, including spokespersons of both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference (HC), JKLF chief Mohammad Yaseen Malik, Democratic Freedom Party (DPF) Shabir Ahmad Shah besides Kashmir Bar Association (KBA) Mian Abdul Qayoum also remained under detention. Majority of them are detained in Delhi’s jail and other state prisons.