Srinagar: Panic gripped several parts of south Kashmir on Sunday afternoon after authorities “forcefully” removed hundreds of non-local truckers from several places in Shopian and adjoining villages of Pulwama and Kulgam.
The trucks were also removed from the government designated ‘safe zones’, which act as pickup points for loading apple in trucks after the killing of four non-local truckers. The pickup points from where trucks from vacated include Batapora Bus Stand, Arhama fruit mandi, Aglar fruit mandi and mini-secretariat peripheries. Villagers said that contingents of government forces patrolled the area and directed the non-local drivers to move towards Mughal Road.
Locals said that these truckers were asked to park their vehicles beyond Hirpora village in the district.
A senior official in the district administration pleading anonymity told Kashmir Reader it was a “precautionary” move.
He said that the decision was taken by the police.
Five non-locals including four drivers were killed in since October 14 in separate incidents by unknown gunmen in the area. Police has blamed militants for the killings.
The decision to relocate the truckers was taken two days after Principal Secretary to Transport Department Asghar Hassan Samoon chaired a meeting here and took stock of transport facilities available for export of fruits from the Valley to outside. According to the government data, 41,672 trucks with 6 lakh metric tonnes of fresh fruits have been transported out of Kashmir valley in the past three months.

Mir Iqbal