Srinagar: Kashmir Valley is observing a complete strike on the call by Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) on Saturday, marking anniversary of Muhammad Afzal Guru who was secretly hanged and buried inside Tihar jail on this day in 2013.
Normal life has been badly affected across Kashmir as all commercial establishments including shops and other business establishments are closed while very thin traffic was seen on the roads. Most of the streets including Lal Chowk, Residency Road, Jehangir Chowk are wearing deserted look with hardly any vehicle seen plying on the roads.
Authorities also placed barricades at Clock Tower (Ghanta Ghar) and at Regal Chowk while strict curbs have been imposed in Maisuma area of uptown as well as various old Srinagar areas that include Nowhatta, Khanyar, Rajouri Kadal, Nawa Kadal, Kawdara and other adjoining areas.
Reports said that at many places concertina wires were placed on roads and people were not allowed to proceed.
Reports of shutdown being observed in all the districts including Baramulla, Kupwara, Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian and Kulgam was received also.
Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was placed under house arrest last night while octogenarian leader, Syed Ali Geelani who heads Hurriyat Confrence (G) remained under similar detention for a long.
Afzal Guru, who was hailing from Doabgah Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, was hanged on 9 February 2013 and his mortal remains were also not handed to the family and was buried in Tihar jail.
The JRL comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik had urged the people of Kashmir to observe complete shutdown on February 9 as well as 11 to mark the “martyrdom anniversaries” of Guru and Muhammad Maqbool Bhat respectively.
According a statement, the JRL also appealed people to offer funeral prayers in absentia for Bhat, Guru and all other martyrs on February 10 across Kashmir.
“New Delhi not only hanged these Kashmiris at gallows but also has kept their mortal remains under its custody till now. The struggle, passion for freedom and sacrifices of these great Kashmiris will always remain a beacon of light for Kashmiris,” leaders had said in a joint statement.
