Srinagar, Aug 22 Life remained crippled for the 18thconsecutive day on Thursday in Kashmir valley due to restrictions andspontaneous strike since August 5, when Article 370 and 35 A were scrapped bythe centre.According to officials, there was no report of any major untowardincident during the night in the valley, where restrictions were eased inmajority areas, including in summer capital, Srinagar.

Restrictions were eased in some more areas in the down townand Shehar-e-Khas (SeK) though business and other activities remained crippled.All gates of historic Jamia masjid, stronghold of moderate Hurriyat Conference(HC) chairman Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq, remained closed and large number ofsecurity forces and state police personnel remained deployed to prevent anyassembly.

Business and other activities remained crippled in the downtown and SeK and outskirts. A large number Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMF)and state police personnel remained deployed to thwart any demonstration.Residents alleged that they are facing acute shortage of essentials,particularly milk, baby food, vegetables and medicine. Milkmen and vegetablesellers from outskirts are not able to come from outskirts due to restrictionsand strike. The local bread makers on main roads also remained closed. However,in the interior areas, shops selling essentials, including bread and milk,remained open in the morning from 0600 hrs to 0900 hrs. Similarly in theevening some shops are functioning from 1900 hrs, when security forces withdrawfor the night, to 2200 hrs.

Shops and business establishments remained closed andtraffic was off the roads in summer capital, Srinagar and outskirts for the18th day on Thursday. However, private vehicles, including two wheelers couldbe seen plying in the civil lines, uptown and outskirts.Though there is no roadblock in the civil lines and uptown, hundreds of security forces and statepolice personnel remained deployed to maintain peace. Historic Lal Chowk, thenerve centre of the city, was open for civilian movement. However, shops andbusiness establishments remained closed and traffic was off the road.

Work in government offices and banks also remained affectedthough most employees attended their offices. According to officials 60 percent to 90 per cent officials are attending their duties, including in CivilSecretariat, seat of the government housing the office of Governor, hisadvisors.

Reports of shut down were also received from other districtand tehsil headquarters, in the Kashmir valley. However, exact situation inthese districts could not be ascertained due to suspension of communicationnetwork.

Life remained paralysed in this and other north Kashmirdistrict and tehsil headquarters, a report from Baramulla said. Restrictionswere reimposed in Kupwara town on Wednesday and nobody was being allowed toenter the main town. Large number of security force personnel remained deployedin Baramulla, where a Lashker-e-Toiba(LeT) militant and a Special OperationGroup (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police were killed in an encounter in the oldtown on Wednesday.  Security forces andstate police personnel remained deployed in strength in apple township ofSopore, Pattan, Palhalan, Bandipora, Ajas and other areas in north Kashmir.

Business and other activities remained crippled since August5 in this and other south Kashmir district and tehsil headquarters, a reportfrom Shopian said. Work in government offices and bank remained affected. Largenumber of security forces remained deployed to maintain peace and order.

Reports of strike were also received from central Kashmirdistricts of Ganderbal and Badgam, where shops and business establishments remainedclosed and traffic off the roads. However, private vehicles were seen plying onsome routes.