Kashmir shut down by Mirwaiz Hurriyat strike

Srinagar, May 21: Kashmir virtually shut down today on a strike call given by the moderate Hurriyat Conference, led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, to observe the anniversaries of deaths of assassinated leaders Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Farooq and Abdul Ghani Lone.

The strike closed shops and almost cleared transport from the roads. Very little private transport was seen on the move.

Schools, colleges, other educational institutions, banks, private companies and business establishments remained closed.

Very thin attendance was registered in the state, central and semi-government offices. However, hospitals and other essential services were exempted from the strike.

Reports received from various parts of Kashmir said complete shutdown was observed in all major towns and district headquarters in the Valley. However, there have been no reports of any violence from any part of the Kashmir valley so far.

Several moderate Hurriyat leaders, including the Mirwaiz, also addressed a public meeting organised at the martyrs' graveyard at the Eidgah grounds here.

The moderate Hurriyat Conference is observing a martyrdom week in Kashmir from May 16-21 in memory of the assassinated leaders.

The Mirwaiz-led Awami Action Committee (AAC) had organised various programmes from May 16 to mark the 17th anniversary of death of its founder Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Farooq.

On May 21, 1990, unidentified gunmen assassinated Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Farooq, the father of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, at his Nigeen residence here.

And on May 21, 2002, Peoples Conference chairman and senior Hurriyat leader Abdul Ghani Lone fell to the bullets of unidentified gunmen at a rally held at Eidgah grounds in old city to mark the 12th anniversary of death of the late Mirwaiz.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Conference would also observe the fifth anniversary of death of its founder-chairman here on May 22.

Peoples Conference chairman Sajjad Ghani Lone would address a rally at the Municipal Park here tomorrow to mark the occasion.

On May 21 last year, ''fidayeen (members of a suicide squad)'' attacked a rally organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee to mark the 15th anniversary of death of the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at the Sher-i-Kashmir Municipal Park here.

Three civilians, two policemen and as many fidayeen were killed in the two-hour-long gun-battle which broke out minutes before Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad was scheduled to arrive at the public meeting.

At least 22 people, including the then Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, K Rajendra Kumar, were wounded in the attack, the responsibility of which was claimed by the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and the Al Mansoorian militant outfits.

UNI