A day after voting for Lok Sabha election ended in the state, Jammu and Kashmir government has lifted the restrictions on the civilian traffic on  Srinagar-Udhampur stretch of the National Highway on Wednesday.  The prohibition on civilian traffic would now apply only on Sunday. 

The decision comes after the government reviewed the restrictions imposed earlier this month on civilian movement on the National Highway to facilitate the security forces’ convoy movement.

"These restrictions became necessary following the movement of security forces on an unprecedented scale after the Pulwama terror attack. These forces were required both for anti-militancy operations and conducting general elections peacefully. In order to facilitate secure movement of security forces’ convoys, the government had imposed a prohibition on civilian traffic", said an official spokesman.Earlier, the restriction on civilian movement between Srinagar and Baramulla on NH-44 was reduced only to Sunday and later completely lifted from May 2

"The government is alive to the needs of citizens. Following the completion of elections in Pulwama and Shopian districts and as the requirement of security forces is now reducing, the government has decided to further relax the restrictions on traffic", the spokesman said

On April 3, the J&K government banned civilian traffic on the National Highway right from Baramulla to Udhampur on every Sunday and Wednesday and reserved the two days exclusively for the movement of security forces’ convoys. The government gave the possibility of a fidayeen terror attack and general elections as the reasons behind the order.