Unregistered pilgrims' entry to Kashmir Valley barred after 3.30 pm

PTI

Banihal/Jammu, July 1

Unregistered pilgrims and tourists have been barred from crossing over to Kashmir from Banihal area of Ramban district after 3.30 pm, the cut-off time, due to security concerns, an officer said on Friday. The measure has been taken in view of unregistered Amarnath pilgrims travelling as tourists to the Valley, thereby causing security problems in view of heightened security threats, Ramban SP Mohita Sharma said.

Similarly at Chandrakot, no vehicle of visitors would be allowed towards Kashmir after 1.30 pm.

Restrictions at Banihal, Chandrakot

• Unregistered pilgrims will not be allowed to enter Kashmir from Banihal after 3.30 pm and from Chandrakot after 1.30 pm.
• During the yatra, local vehicles, including those ferrying school students, employees and patients, are being allowed one by one.
• ADGP Mukesh Singh reviewed security arrangements for the ongoing Amarnath Yatra along the Jammu-Srinagar highway.

Three hurt in road mishap

• Three pilgrims were injured when their vehicle skidded off the Jammu-Srinagar highway and turned turtle in Ramban district.
• Three pilgrims have been admitted to a hospital.

Pilgrim count: 17,100

• A fresh batch of 6,400 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in a cavalcade of 265 vehicles on Friday morning.
• The number of pilgrims has gone up to 17,100.

“Unregistered pilgrims, travelling without RIFD (radio-frequency identification) and devotees travelling in the guise of tourists will not be allowed to move to Kashmir from Navyug tunnel in Banihal after 3.30 pm,” Mohita said.

Replying to a question on restrictions for local traffic on the highway during the yatra, Sharma said the local vehicles, including those ferrying school students, employees and patients, were being allowed one by one.

Meanwhile, ADGP Mukesh Singh reviewed security arrangements of the ongoing Amarnath Yatra along the Jammu-Srinagar highway and directed the officers to prioritise convenience and safety of the pilgrims during convoy movement. Accompanied by senior police officers, the ADGP moved with a convoy of pilgrims from Jammu to Lambar at Banihal in Ramban district, officials said. The police chiefs of Jammu, Udhampur and Ramban also accompanied Singh and briefed him about the road opening parties and security arrangements.

Another batch of 6,400 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in a cavalcade of 265 vehicles early morning. With today’s batch, the pilgrims who have left for Amarnath cave shrine from Jammu have goes up to 17,100, officials said.

Over 7,000 fresh pilgrims have arrived in Jammu from various places across the country for their onward journey to the shrine, they said. After on-the-spot registeration at three counters and supply of tokens at two counters, they have been lodged in 32 lodging centres and base camps here. The yatra commenced on Thursday from the traditional 48-km Nunwan route in Pahalgam and the 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal.

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