Separatists observe shutdown to mark Afzal Guru’s 6th death anniversary

Srinagar, February 9

Normal life in Kashmir was affected on Saturday due to a strike called by separatists to mark the sixth death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru, who was hanged on this day in 2013.

Shops and other business establishments remained closed while public transport was off the roads due to the shutdown called by the separatists, officials said.

Separatists Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), consisting of both factions of Hurriyat Conference and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), called for a shutdown to press for their demand that Guru’s mortal remains be returned for burial in Kashmir.

Authorities have placed Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and several other separatist leaders under house arrest to prevent them from holding any protest marches, the officials said.

Security personnel have been deployed in strength at vulnerable places across the valley for maintaining law and order, they said.

Guru was hanged and buried inside New Delhi’s Tihar jail on February 9, 2013. PTI