Srinagar, April 29: Separatists’ shut down call in Kashmir has caused a lot of hardship to tourists visiting the valley from across the county and abroad here.

Apprehending trouble and ire of the separatist groups, almost all the shops and other commercial establishments in the market including restaurants have downed their shutters.

Tourists, in absence of proper and affordable modes of transport, have been deprived of visiting famous tourist spots in the city and other places in the valley.

Srinagar, Apr 28: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said the state government will facilitate talks between the Central Government and separatists after general elections in the country are over.

Speaking to mediapersons here, Abdullah, who is the National Conference party''s candidate for the Srinagar-Budgam seat, said: "As I said earlier, we are committed to it. A new government will be formed after the elections, we will talk to them (separatists) and facilitate them to talk to the federal government."

Srinagar, Apr 27: Defence Minister A. K. Antony on Monday visited the forward areas of Jammu and Kashmir under the White Knight Corps, and said that the Army’s vigilance and proactive stance had ensured incident free elections in the state.

During his visit, Antony addressed the troops at the Raina Auditorium in Rajouri, where he lauded the role of the Indian Army in curbing infiltration and reducing the levels of insurgency.

Srinagar, Apr 27: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) supporters took to streets on Monday to protest against the cancellation of an Election Commission (EC) notification for holding bye-polls in the Hazratbal parliamentary constituency.

Chanting slogans against the National Conference-led state government and the EC, PDP activists marched through the streets of Srinagar, to voice their anger at the EC’s decision.

The supporters gathered outside the EC office and accused the commission of siding with the National Conference (NC) candidate.

Srinagar, Apr 25: Syed Moinullah Khan, a Pakistan-based militant who was arrested by the Indian Army, disclosed that militants operating in Jammu and Kashmir have no links with the Taliban.

Srinagar, Apr 25 : The Army on Saturday caught a Pakistani terrorist from the Gurez sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Hizbul Mujahideen militant, identified as Syed Moin-ul Shah, was nabbed while trying to return to Pakistan. He reportedly belongs to Pakistan''''s North West Frontier Province and has been trained in Mansera.

Addressing a press conference, Army spokesperson Brigadier Gurmeet Singh informed that an abundant accumulation of arms and ammunition has also been recovered.