Life comes to halt in Kashmir after 1230 hrs

Srinagar, Sep 19 (UNI) Life came to a standstill in the Kashmir valley after 1230 hrs today, the deadline set by the Coordination Committee (CC) to close down all shops and business establishments.

The shops and business establishments will now reopen only on Sunday morning.

Life was normal in Srinagar and all other parts of the valley since early this morning with all shops and business establishments functioning normally. Work in government offices and banks besides educational institutions was normal and traffic was plying on all routes.

However, exactly at 1230 hrs, shopkeepers closed down their establishments. Commercial establishments, including banks in the civil lines also joined the strike.

Reports of total strike from 1230 hrs were also received from Baramulla, Sopore, Kupwara, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Charar-e-Sharief, Chadoora, Badgam, Anantnag, Shopian and other major towns and tehsils in the valley.

The CC, spearheading the present agitation in the Kashmir valley, has asked shopkeepers and others to close down their establishments at 1230 hrs every Friday and hold demonstrations near their respective mosques after the prayers.

The CC, an alliance of both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference and about two dozen other organisations, is demanding among other things opening of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and other roads with the Pakistany occupied Kashmir (POK), release of all detenues and withdrawal of troops and special powers to security forces in the valley.

It has asked to observe strike tomorrow and resume normal business on Sunday, normally a holiday in the valley.

UNI BAS QAB PK UCS1513