Keeping in view the recent Pulwama-type terror attack bid on a CRPF convoy in Banihal, the Jammu and Kashmir government has earmarked two special days of the week exclusively for the movement of convoys of security forces on the Jammu-Srinagar Highway. On Sundays and Wednesdays, the movement of civilian traffic has been banned on the highway.

The government issued a notification on Wednesday in which it said the restrictions would remain in force till 31 May. No civilian traffic movement will be allowed on Sunday and Wednesday every week from 4 am to 5 pm on the Jammu-Srinagar Highway.

The government has also ordered that curfew type restrictions would be ordered by the local administration in the event of any requirement for local traffic movement for any emergency or for any other purpose.

These restrictions have been ordered following the terror attack in Pulwama where 44 CRPF personnel were killed and a recent similar attack in Banihal that failed.

An official spokesman said that keeping in view the large movement of the security forces on the Jammu-Srinagar Highway during the Parliamentary elections and associated possibility of any fidayeen terror attack on the convoys, the State Government has notified specified days in a week for the movement of the security forces from Srinagar to Jammu. During these days, no civilian traffic would be allowed on the national highway.

To mitigate the inconvenience to the civilians by this move, the government has notified 2 dedicated days in a week exclusively for the movement of security force convoys and there would be a complete ban on civilian traffic on the National Highway during these two days.

This prohibition would be from Baramulla through Srinagar, Qazigund, Jawahar-Tunnel, Banihal and Ramban till Udhampur.

During his visit to Srinagar after the Pulwama terror attack on 14 February, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had announced that no civilian traffic would be allowed during the movement of security force convoys. However, these orders have remained unimplemented. The failed terror attack at Banihal has made the authorities to take the precautionary step.