CAIT demands Centre to sever all ties with Pak; calls bandh on Monday

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 15

In the wake of the Pulwama terror attack, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Friday demanded that the Central government sever trade and other relations with Pakistan. It urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare three-day mourning as a tribute to the slain soldiers.

Condemning the mindless killings of over 42 jawans, the Delhi trade body today announced that it will observe a “bandh” on February 18. All wholesale and retail markets in the national capital shall remain closed and no business activity will take place, it said.

CAIT national secretary general Praveen Khandelwal said like other citizens the trading community across the country is highly stunned with this cowardly attack of Pakistani militants and to demonstrate solidarity with the country and the family of the martyrs, it has called for a trade bandh.

He said the government avenge the sacrifice of  martyrs and undertake repeated surgical strikes in Pakistan to destroy it completely.

Delhi Police expresses solidarity with the families

The Delhi Police organised a condolence meeting on Friday to express solidarity with the families of personnel killed in the terror attack.

Officers observed a two-minute silence and prayed for the speedy recovery of personnel who were critically injured in the attack.

The meeting, chaired by Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik, was attended by officers of all ranks, a senior official said.

More than 2,500 CRPF personnel, many of them returning from leave to rejoin duty in the Valley, were travelling in the convoy of 78 vehicles when they were ambushed on the Srinagar-Jammu highway at Latoomode in Awantipora in south Kashmir around 3.15 pm.

The Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group has claimed responsibility for the attack that took place about 20 km from Srinagar.