Jammu/ /New Delhi, Aug 13 : Truck drivers have nullified claims of an economic blockade in the Kashmir Valley, saying that traffic is moving smoothly on the Lakhanpur-Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. Traffic is also moving smoothly on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

Supplies of essential commodities are getting normalised in Jammu and Kashmir. The movement of apples from the Kashmir Valley to various markets across the country is also picking up, official sources claimed.

New Delhi, August 12 : India today sharply reacted to attempts by Pakistan to link the ongoing protests in Jammu and Kashmir to the peace process between the two countries.

Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, said that the current situation in Kashmir has affected the environment for talks with India.

He also said that the ongoing Indo-Pak peace process is likely to be hindered if violence in the Valley persisted.

New Delhi, Aug 12 : An all-party delegation led by Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil met here today to end the Amarnath land transfer row.

After the meeting, National Congress Party (NCP) leaders said that suggestions were made for bringing both the groups in Jammu and the Kashmir valley to the negotiations table to find a solution, which is acceptable to both the sides.

Appealing to both sides to suspend the agitation, they said the first priority should be to bring peace in the valley.

Srinagar, Aug 12: Two more protesters were killed in firing by security forces in Lasjan on the outskirts of Srinagar, taking the toll to five in today’s fresh violence during protests against the Jammu and Kashmir Police action on Monday in which a senior Hurriyat Conference leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz was killed.

While three persons were killed and at least eight others injured in the firing in Aribal in Watlab area of Bandipora District, two protesters died and another was wounded as police opened fire in Lasjan on the outskirts of Srinagar, official sources said.

Jammu, Aug 12 : The Amarnath Yatra was suspended again on Tuesday due to bad weather in the Baltal and Pahalgam areas of South Kashmir.

According to police officials, the pilgrimage was suspended and no batch was being sent to the shrine from Jammu.

The last batch of the pilgrims will leave from here on August 14.

The yatra was earlier suspended on Monday due to inclement weather.

It began on June 17 and will end on August 16.

Security forces have been put on a high alert along the entire route of the pilgrimage to ensure the safety of the pilgrims.

Srinagar, India  - Eight people were killed in India-administered Kashmir Tuesday as police fired at groups of people defying curfew, local media and witnesses said.

Curfew was imposed across the Kashmir valley for fear of violence as the separatist Hurriyat Conference prepared to bury a senior leader who died Monday when police fired on protestors marching towards the line of control dividing India- and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.