Srinagar
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah on Sunday led a protest rally defying the Government diktat of closing the national highway for civilian traffic demanding that the order should be revoked to ensure that people don’t have to suffer.
Party President while leading protest marches at Sanatnagar and Athwajan Chowk said, “We are not a colony, therefore, we are defying the diktat. The order should be immediately revoked to ensure that the public doesn’t have to undergo any inconvenience. The train affords a better option for the transit of military movement. They can carry out the movement of the military convoy during nights.”
Flaying the governor administration for closing National Highway the party president said, “It is a dictatorial order. Today the president of the trader’s federation met me. They said that the diktat will hamper the economic activity of traders here. This highway is no less than an artery, it is our lifeline. We only have this road, there is no other road. It is not just the economic activity that will suffer but other areas will have to take the brunt. How can patients who are referred to Srinagar reach city hospitals like SKIMS and SMHS? How can students and working class reach their respective destinations? This is the most regressive step; orders like these will push the already aggravated people to the wall.”
He further added, “If the order is not revoked we will increase the intensity of our protests. Issuing such orders does not augur well for a democratic setup. We condemn it unequivocally and seek its immediate revocation.”
Among others party general secretary Haji Ali Muhammad Sagar, provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani, senior leader Mubarak Gul, treasurer Shammi Oberoi, women’s wing president Shammema Firdous, Central Zone President Ali Muhammad Dar, district President Srinagar Pir Afaq, State secretary Irfan Shah, Advisor to party President Mushtaq Guroo, YNC provincial president Salman Ali Sagar, YNC VP Ahsan Pardesi also participated in the protest rally.
