Traders observe shutdown against NIA summons

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 25

The shutdown called by several traders’ bodies against the National Investigating Agency’s summons related to the “terror funding case” affected normal life here today.

Shops and business establishments in and around the Lal Chowk area and most of the old city areas remained shut. Not many public transport vehicles were seen on roads. However, shops were open in the civil line areas of the city and private transport too was normal there.

As restrictions were in place in areas under five police stations of the old city, normal life remained affected. Several schools also remained shut as the separatist leaders too had extended support to the shutdown call.

The shutdown had been called to protest the NIA summons issued to the president of Kashmir Traders Manufacturers Federation (KTMF), Mohammad Yasin Khan, who also heads a faction of the Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA).

The traders also held a sit-in in the Pratap Park area to protest the “high-handednesses” of the NIA. “They are unnecessarily harassing the business community and they do not want the businesses to flourish in Kashmir. Traders from all districts of the Valley took part in the protest to express solidarity with us,” said KTMF media head Farhan Kitab, who is also the secretary general of the Regal Chowk Traders Association.

“Kashmir Inc is not against the NIA investigations but against their ways of investigations. Such methods adopted by New Delhi will only lead to further chaos and destruction of business sector in the trouble-torn region,” he added.

Kashmir Traders Federation (KTF) chief spokesperson Aijaz Shahdhar said the summoning of Khan by the NIA had created fear among the business community.

“We condemn the summoning and harassment… This has created fear among traders as we feel the businesses will get affected as a result. The traders’ community is feeling intimidated and we will continue to raise our voice against this,” he said.