Army comes to aid of people in Kashmir valley

Jammu, Aug 2 (UNI) Army today took the charge of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway-1A to assist the civil administration in ensuring that the goods carriers get safe passage through the troubled Jammu region to Kashmir valley where people are facing shortage of essential commodities.

''Army has been deployed on the NH-1A from entry point Lakhanpur in bordering Kathua district to Qazigund, on the other side of Jawahar Tunnel for the passage of trucks from Jammu region,'' a well-placed source told UNI.

The trucks would be allowed to move for Kashmir under Army protection, the source informed.

With no let up in the ongoing agitation by people and stoppage of goods carriers in Jammu region, shortage of essential commodities has arisen in the Kashmir region.

On the request of civil administration, Army has staged flag march through the city in Jammu and Samba districts while situation was tense with people defying curfew restrictions to hold protests over the Amarnath land row.

All the arteries connecting Jammu were sealed by Army.

Massive protests and clashes during the visit of National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah and People's Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti in Jammu yesterday necessitated Army deployment to control the situation.

UNI VJ ARB CS1952