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As a direct result of the Pulwama attack and following the upcoming elections, the Jammu and Kashmir government decided to restrict the movement of civil traffic on the Jammu Srinagar highway to 5 days a week. What this means is that every week, Wednesday and Sunday will be reserved for the movement of military convoys. No civilian vehicle may travel the route within these two days. This rule has already been enforced and will remain until May 31; every Wednesday and Sunday from 4:00 to 17:00. Measures are being taken into account due to the elections and there is a good chance that this rule will be removed later, but there is no confirmation about it. Such a ban would be from Baramulla through Srinagar, Qazigund, Jawahar Tunnel, Banihal and Ramban to Udhampur.

In an emergency requiring the passage of a civilian vehicle, police and administrative officials would make appropriate decisions in accordance with the provisions of civil traffic movement during curfew, the notification said.

If you were planning a road trip to Kashmir so early, you would have to be careful when planning your itinerary. Make sure you do not plan to drive between Jammu and Srinagar in one of two days. If for some reason you cannot avoid it, the only other option is to take the Mughal road via Shopian. The restriction does not apply to this route and is limited to Jammu Srinagar Highway only. For more details about the route, read How to Plan a Trip on the Mughal Road.

There is much turmoil in Kashmir against this decision. I really don’t have an opinion for or against, so I won’t comment. But from a traveler’s point of view, my sincere advice would be not to plan a trip to Kashmir in May until the elections are over. Even if everything went peacefully, you will still face problems due to increased security and may even be denied entry in some places.

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