SRINAGAR: Life was crippled in Kashmir valley on Saturday due to strike, called by separatists against shifting of Dukhtaran-e-Milat (DeM) chief Asiya Andrabi and her two associates.
The DeM chief was shifted to Delhi by National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with their alleged anti-national activities in Kashmir.
Shops and business establishments remained closed and traffic was off the roads in restriction-free areas in the summer capital, Srinagar. Business and other activities were paralyzed in main business hubs at historic Lal Chowk, the nerve center of the city, Hari Singh High Street (HSHS), Regal Chowk, Batmaloo, Dalgate, Residency road, Moulana Azad road, Gaw Kadal, Iqbal Park and Gonikhan.
Authorities have imposed restrictions in areas under police station Nowhatta, including historic Jamia Masjid.
Passenger traffic was off the road through some three-wheelers and cabs beside a good number of private vehicles could be seen plying in the civil lines and uptown.
Work in government offices was affected due to strike, called by Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), comprising Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq, and Mohammad Yasin Malik.
Geelani is under house arrest while Malik is under detention since yesterday.
Educational institutions also remained closed. Life also remained paralyzed in this and other major town and tehsil headquarters in north Kashmir, a report from Baramulla said.
Shops and business establishments remained closed and traffic was off the road while work in government offices was affected. Additional security forces were deployed in the main towns, including on bridges over river Jhelum to prevent any law and order problem.
Security forces had also been deployed at sensitive places on Srinagar-Baramulla road to prevent stone pelting.
Reports of shutdown were also received from district and tehsil headquarters in south Kashmir, where authorities have imposed restrictions in Tral and adjoining areas to prevent assembly of people on the second death anniversary of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Burhan Wani who was killed in an encounter by security forces in Anantnag on July 8, 2016.
The JRL has called for a strike tomorrow in the valley.
Life also remained crippled in the central Kashmir districts of Badgam and Ganderbal with shops and other business establishments remained closed and traffic off the roads.