Save Apple, Save Kashmir: AIP stages protest in Srinagar over highway blockade

Srinagar, Sep 16: Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) workers led by MLA Langate Sheikh Khursheed on Tuesday staged a protest demonstration at Press Colony, Srinagar, demanding immediate restoration of traffic for heavy motor vehicles on the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway to save the Valley’s horticulture sector from collapse.

Raising slogans under the banner “Save Apple, Save Kashmir,” the protesters said the prolonged blockade of the highway had left thousands of fruit-laden trucks stranded, causing massive losses to growers. They carried placards highlighting the plight of orchardists and accused the authorities of failing to provide any effective relief.

Speaking to reporters, MLA Langate Sheikh Khursheed said that Kashmir’s economy was under siege due to the blockade. “Horticulture sustains lakhs of families in the Valley. With the highway choked and fruit rotting in trucks, growers are staring at ruin. The government’s assurances mean nothing unless immediate action is taken to clear stranded consignments,” he said.

AIP leaders warned that if the blockade continues, the economic backbone of Kashmir would suffer irreparable damage. They urged the Lieutenant Governor’s administration to prioritise the movement of fruit trucks over all other traffic and to ensure alternate routes such as Mughal Road are fully operational for bulk consignments.

Shortly after the protest, the police swung into action and detained dozens of protesers.

Notably, different political groups and trade unions alike are pressing the administration to prevent further devastation of the horticulture economy and immediately ensure hassle-free movement of fruit trucks on the Srinagar-Jammu highway. [KNT]