Life across Jammu and Kashmir was adversely affected on Saturday by a protest shutdown called by the separatists against shifting of Asiya Andrabi, chief of a separatist women group to Delhi.
Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Yasin Malik called the protest after Dukhtaran-e-Milat (Daughters of Faith) chief Andrabi was shifted to Delhi by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday.
Andrabi and two of her associates, Fahmeeda Sofi and Nahida Nasreen were shifted from the Srinagar Central Jail in connection with a sedition FIR filed against them by the central agency. The Patiala House Court in Delhi remanded the three to NIA's custody for 10 days till July 16.
Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer have been placed under house arrest while Malik has been taken into preventive custody.
Shops, public transport and other businesses remained closed in Srinagar city and other district headquarters of the valley. Rail services have been suspended as a precautionary measure, but Kashmir University officials said all exams scheduled on Saturday would be held as per schedule.
Kashmiri separatist leader Asiya Andrabi was arrested by the NIA on June 6 along with Sofi and Nasreen in connection with a case for allegedly waging war against India. Andrabi had recently made headlines when she hoisted the Pakistani flag at Srinagar in May. She also sang the national anthem of Pakistan and said all Muslims on the subcontinent are Pakistani.
She was also involved in the 2010 stone-pelting incidents that rocked the Kashmir valley.
This comes after authorities on Saturday announced a curfew in Tral town of Pulwama District on the eve of second death anniversary of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani. Wani was killed along with two other militants in Kokernag area of Anantnag district on July 8, 2016.
