Kashmiris stranded in Jammu due to the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway have demanded subsidised airfares from the government to help them fly back to Srinagar.
"The government should provide subsidised airfares for the Kashmiris stranded in Jammu like it does for those in Kargil, Karnah and Gurez," demanded Abdul Rehman, who said he was living off borrowed money.
The state government provides subsidised airfares for the people of Kargil, Karnah and Gurez during the snow-bound winter, as they remain cut off from the rest of state with the roads closed for six months.
"If the government can do it for the border residents, why not us? We are also in the same condition, if not worse," said Mushtaq Ahmad.
Meanwhile, the Kashmir valley remained cut off from the rest of the country for the second day on Wednesday as the Srinagar-Jammu highway was closed for traffic due to fresh snowfall around Jawahar tunnel and landslides at other places, officials said.
Snow had accumulated up to three feet on the road at Banihal, hampering the efforts of the Border Roads Organisation to make the road fit for traffic, the officials said.
Snow and rains on Tuesday triggered landslides at Ramsu on the highway, and these were yet to be cleared, they said.
While 554 passengers and 270 vehicles were stranded at various points along the highway, no vehicles were allowed to enter the highway either from Jammu or Srinagar on Wednesday.
