Shutdown call on Indian President's visit to IHK

SRINAGAR (Online) - Senior Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Geelani has called for a complete shutdown on Saturday to protest against the visit of Indian President Pratibha Patil to occupied Kashmir. According to Kashmir Media Service, addressing a press conference in Srinagar Syed Ali Geelani said, 'By arranging the visits for Indian and foreign dignitaries to Kashmir, government of India was trying to give a false impression that normalcy has returned to the occupied territory. But the unabated human right violations contradict these claims of normalcy'. Geelani said that the strike would be a mark of protest against the Indian occupation of Kashmir. 'By observing the strike we would convey to the President and other foreign dignitaries accompanying her that Kashmir is disputed and people would continue to fight until they are given the right to self-determination', he added. The Hurriyet leader also urged the people to hold peaceful protests after Friday prayers in this regard. Geelani deplored that the foreign dignitaries who often visit Kashmir claim that their countries are the saviours of human rights but they have failed to address the issue of rights abuse committed by the Indian troops. Indian President is scheduled to arrive in occupied Kashmir on Friday (today) on a three-day visit.

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