Separatist shutdown affects life in Srinagar

Srinagar, April 7 (IANS) Life across Srinagar and other towns of Kashmir Valley were affected Saturday by a shutdown called by hardline senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani against the conviction of Kashmiri separatist Ghulam Nabi Fai by a US court last month, police said.

Shops, businesses, public transport and classes in the educational institutions remained suspended because of the shutdown in the city.

Banks, post offices, government offices, however, functioned here even though the attendance was thin because of non-availability of public transport.

Private transport and some three-wheelers plied normally on the city roads.

Reports from other district headquarters of Baramulla, Kupwara, Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, Ganderbal, Badgam and Bandipora also indicated the shutdown had affected normal life there as well.

No untoward incident has so far been reported from anywhere, police said.

The authorities have made deployments of riot control squads at vulnerable places in the city and other towns of the valley.

Fai was charged in the US with spying for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence.