Srinagar: Normal life was on Saturday affected in the valley due to a strike called by Hurriyat Conference (HC) on the first anniversary of bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.
Business and other activities were affected in the summer capital, where Darbar Move, seat of the government, was closed to reopen in winter capital, Jammu on November 9.
Shops and business establishments remained closed in historic Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the city, and other main business hubs of Hari Singh High Street (HSHS), Regal Chowk, Budshah Chowk, Residency road, Moulana Azad road, Maisuma, Batmaloo. Gonikhan and Mahraj Bazar. Public transport was also off the roads though some three wheelers and private vehicles were plying on almost all routes.
Similar scenes were witnessed in the downtown and Shehar-e-Khas (SeK) with shops and business establishments remaining shut and traffic off the roads. The historic Jamia Masjid, stronghold of chairman of HC Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq, presently under house arrest, also wore a deserted look with only police personnel deployed in the Jamia market and outside the main gate.However, government offices and banks were functioning normally.
There were no restrictions in any part of the city. A security force vehicle was parked near the main gate of Mirwaiz Manzil at Rajouri Kadal on the Nallamar road in the downtown. Bank branches on the main road also remained closed as a precautionary measure.
