Srinagar

In a bizarre incident following the bi-weekly civil traffic movement ban on the Jammu-Kashmir highway, a commuter on Wednesday was stamped on his palm by the highway magistrate for travelling from district Anantnag.

Highway ban: A stamp on a palm of a commuter for travelling on the highway

Reports said that a commuter was stamped on his hand by the authorities today in order to allow him to use the road when the civilians’ remains banned from using the highway.

In a tweet, the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah expressed his anger over the “inhuman” treatment being meted out to people.

“This is how permission is granted to people in J&K to use their highway. Their hands are being stamped & written on. I don’t know what to say! Should we be flippant & mock the attempt at saving paper? I’m just angry at the degrading, inhuman treatment being meted out to people,” Omar tweeted.

Earlier, the State Government of J&K notified specified days in a week for the movement of government forces from Srinagar to Jammu. As per the order, during these days, no civilian traffic would be allowed on Jammu and Kashmir highway.

The government has notified two dedicated days in a week Sunday and Wednesday exclusively for movement of government forces convoys and there would be a complete ban on civilian traffic on the highway during these two days from 4 AM to 5 PM. This prohibition would be from Baramulla through Srinagar, Qazigund, Jawahar-Tunnel, Banihal and Ramban till Udhampur. Pertinently, the Srinagar-Jammu highway is the only highway linking Kashmir with rest of the world.

However, all the sections of society, including political parties, business communities, and civil societies have criticized the move and termed it an “anti-people” and “undemocratic” decision.

Earlier in the day, the NC vice president Omar Abdullah led a protest march against the closure at Pantha Chowk on the Srinagar-Jammu highway.

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