Kashmir Valley observes shut down, as Qureshi continues to be critical

Srinagar, Dec 5 (ANI): The entire Kashmir Valley was observing a shutdown on Saturday following the assassination attempt on senior Hurriyat leader Fazal Haque Qureshi last evening.

The Kashmir Valley turned grim after unidentified gunmen shot Qureshi outside a mosque in the city last evening.

The Mirwaiz Omar Farooq - led All Party Hurriyat Conference faction gave the call for the shutdown.

The Business establishments, educational institutions, government offices were closed.

Traffic was also affected by the strike call.

According to hospital sources, the condition of Qureshi continues to be critical and he is still on life support at the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences. (SKIMS).

Last night, doctors performed a three-hour operation on Qureshi's skull to remove bullet fragments.

According to hospital sources, the bullet has pierced Qureshi's head.

Meanwhile, Al-Nasreen, a little-known militant organisation, has owned responsibility for the attack on Qureshi.

Qureshi, a close aide of Farooq, recently initiated a silent dialogue with the Union Government to arrive at an amicable solution to the Kashmir problem. (ANI)