Strike affects life in Srinagar

Srinagar, Aug 3: Life was partially affected in the summer capital, Srinagar, due to general strike called by People's Political Party (PPP) in protest against presence of about five lakh ''non- locals'' in the valley.

Shops and business establishments in the civil lines, including historic Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of Srinagar, and its immediate neighbourhood were closed.

Holiday was declared today in a number of educational institutions also because of the strike call.

However, traffic was normal on all routes.

The PPP, headed by engineer Hilal Ahmad War, had given a one-day strike call demanding that all non-locals should leave the valley.

A number of local worker unions also demanded that ''outsiders'' should leave the valley because their business was affected.

It was breakaway Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani who first asked the outsiders to leave the valley after two of the four persons involved in the rape and murder of a girl at Handwara, were found to be ''non-locals''.

According to a rough estimate, about 15,000 ''outsiders'' had left the valley after the threat during the past one week.

UNI