Hurriyat hardliners call for a shutdown in Sopore tomorrow

Srinagar, Feb 3 (PTI) Hardline Hurriyat Confernce ledby Syed Ali Shah Geelani has called for a shutdown tomorrow inSopore area of north Kashmir to protest against the killing oftwo sisters in the apple town on Monday.

"A complete shutdown will be observed in Sopore andprotests will be held in the state after the Friday prayersagainst the inhuman killing of the two girls," Geelani said ina statement.

Geelani said, "no Muslim and pro-freedom" person canremain silent on such a "serious issue".

Two sisters were dragged out of their home byunidentified gunmen and later killed a short distance away inSopore on Monday evening.

Police has claimed that the two girls were killed bymilitants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) but a spokesman of thebanned outfit denied having any hand in the incident.

The LeT spokesman told local news agencies lastevening that the "the innocent girls have been killed byIndian agencies to create confusion among the people anddefame the LeT."

Although most of the separatist groups, including themilitants, maintained silence for a day after the killings,almost all the groups have now come out in the open to condemnthe killings.