Normal life in Srinagar was affected Monday owing to a shutdown called by the separatist Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) to protest against a court order sentencing two locals to life imprisonment.
"Kashmiris are being imprisoned in 22-year-old cases. The state is following a policy of revenge. We appeal to the Indian civil society to ensure that such vindictive tactics are stopped," Muhammad Yasin Malik, chairman of JKLF, told IANS.
Activists will participate in a day-long hunger strike at the JKLF's Maisuma headquarters in the city. A torchlight protest will be held in the evening, Malik said.
The strike has been supported by the local bar association, separatist groups Mahaz-e-Azadi, Dukhtaran-e-Milat and guerrilla outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Shops and businesses establishments remained closed, while attendance in educational institutions, government offices, banks and post offices in the city was thin.
Although public transport remained off the road, private vehicles plied on the roads.
Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) contingents were deployed in strength in various areas. However, the authorities did not impose restrictions anywhere in the city.