Srinagar: More than a hundred traders from Kashmir Valley have been forced to close their shops in Ramgarh area in Panchkula district of Haryana.

A number of callers said that the landlords of their rented accommodations asked them to vacate, saying that they have been continuously pressurized by the locals not to allow Kashmiris stay put.

“We have been receiving continuous threats by the shop owners and we are being asked to vacate,” Zahoor Ahmad Dar, a trader from Awoora Kupwara said.

“We have left our entire goods there,” he said. Accompanied by others, he said, “We are now putting up in local Masjids.”

He said that all the traders from Kashmir visited the local police station, seeking help. “But no help was provided to us,” he said. “We fear for our lives and government should ensure the safety of our person and goods.” (GNS)