NEWS

JK: Stir intensifies, Geelani calls Shopian march

By Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar
June 06, 2009 22:47 IST

Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani evening issued a call for Shopian march and a week-long protest programme against the alleged rape and murder of two women last week.

He, however, asked people to resume their normal business from Tuesday and peaceful protests by lawyers, students, government employees and local traders.

Geelani who continues to remain under house arrest, also urged the moderate separatist leader, Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq and the pro-independence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman to join the Shopian march on Monday.

He called for a week long shutdown in the aftermath of the alleged rape and murder of two women in south Kashmir Shopian town, 60 km from Srinagar, on May 30.

The strike continued to cripple life across the valley Saturday while sporadic protests broke out in capital city and other towns this afternoon.

Police had to use tearsmoke and batons to disperse stone pelting protestors in the old city and uptown areas of capital city today.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today held demonstrations at all the district headquarters of the state to press for revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and withdrawal of army and paramilitary forces from internal security duties from civilian areas.

Meanwhile the state government Saturday asked the local TV networks to restrict their news telecast to 15 minutes a day in the evening from 8 p.m to 8.15 p.m.
 

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

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