Normal life affected due to strike call to mark anniversaries

Normal life came to a standstill across Kashmir valley on Thursday in response to the strike call given by separatists to mark the death anniversaries of two senior leaders Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq and Abdul Ghani Lone.

Shops and business establishments in Srinagar and other major towns of the valley remained closed and transport kept off the roads in view of the strike that was called by the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference headed by Mirwaiz Moulvi Umer Farooq.
   
All educational institutions also remained closed, while work in government and semi-government offices, banks, courts and other establishments was badly hit, official sources said.
   
Hurriyat has called for a strike to mark 19th and 7th death anniversaries of Awami Action Committee (AAC) founder Mirwaiz Farooq and People's Conference founder Abdul Ghani Lone.
   
While Mirwaiz, father of Mirwaiz Umer, fell to the bullets of unidentified assassins on this day in 1990 in his residence, Lone was assassinated while he was attending a function to mark the 12th death anniversary of Mirwaiz, near the martyr's graveyard at Eidgah in downtown Srinagar in 2002.
   
Authorities made elaborate security arrangements to prevent any untoward incident.