AIP to Stage Sit-In for Fruit Growers, Seeks Relief for Orchardists

SRINAGAR: The Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) on Monday announced it will stage a peaceful sit-in protest tomorrow at Press Colony, Srinagar, demanding the unhindered movement of apple-laden trucks on the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway.

AIP Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi said the protest, scheduled for 11 AM on Tuesday, September 16, aims to highlight the plight of fruit growers who have been hit hard by the continued highway blockades. He warned that the ongoing disruption has pushed Kashmir’s fruit industry, considered the backbone of the region’s economy, to the verge of collapse.

“The government cannot remain a silent spectator while the year’s hard work of lakhs of orchardists rots on the roads. If immediate steps are not taken to ensure smooth passage of trucks, it will amount to an economic assault on our people,” Inam Un Nabi said.

While acknowledging the start of the parcel train service, he emphasised that reopening the highway for stranded apple consignments remains the most urgent requirement.