Jammu & Kashmir: Live updates

SRINAGAR: Jammu & Kashmir was sucked into a vortex of fear and uncertainty on Sunday, keeping people away from the streets and markets as rumours swirled about the continuing security build-up across the Valley being a prelude to the revocation of Article 35A. Additional paramilitary forces were deployed in sensitive areas in the Valley and around vital places in Srinagar such as the civil secretariat, police headquarters, airport and various central government establishments.Most shops in the Jawaharnagar, Raj Bagh, Lal Chowk and Karan Nagar areas of Srinagar remained closed throughout the day, although Bakri Eid is just a week away. The sprinkling of shoppers who had stepped out did so only to stock up on essentials in preparation for a potentially long period of uncertainty. The long queues at fuel pumps over the past few days have already led to most of them running out of petrol.The panic has been partly fuelled by unconfirmed reports of the administration planning to clamp indefinite curfew from Monday. Police and paramilitary forces have already been put on high alert across the Valley. On Sunday, police stations were provided with satellite phones to bypass the conventional telecom network.The last of the Amarnath pilgrims and tourists left Srinagar during the day after the Centre capped the surging fares of various airlines flying to Delhi at Rs 7,000 for visitors stranded in the Valley. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan, the mentor of J&K state teams who was in Srinagar to oversee trials for the under-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy and under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy squads, was among those who left Srinagar along with the young players.Official sources said in the evening that some of the 100 companies of security forces requisitioned from various parts of the country were still to arrive. Leaders of all mainstream political parties had been advised to shift to Srinagar in view of the threat perception, they added. Riot control vehicles have been kept on standby in some areas where apprehension of law and order disturbances is more, official sources added. The heightened state of alert and security build-up started after intelligence agencies reported a possible surge in terror activities backed by Pakistan ’s ISI to shore up the dipping morale of separatist forces.Live updates: Jammu and Kashmir