Jammu and Kashmir separatists call for shutdown on Thursday

Even as authorities ruled out exclusive colonies for Kashmiri Pandits or Sainik colonies in the Valley, the issues brought the divided separatist camp together with chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference and JKLF calling for a shutdown on Thursday to counter "plans to change the demography" of Jammu and Kashmir.

Chairman of moderate Hurriyat Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF Chief Mohammad Yasin Malik called on hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani at his Hyderpora residence this evening and held a closed door meeting for about one-and-a- half hours in which they decided to call for the general strike on May 26, a statement issued by hardline Hurriyat said.

"The leaders held a detailed discussion over the serious situation prevailing in the Jammu and Kashmir and deliberated upon the future course of action in this regard," the statement said.

The leaders also called for a peaceful protest after the Friday prayers against the "proposed plans of creation of the separate clusters for the Pandits, establishment of Sainik colonies, harassment of the Jammu Muslims, new anti-Kashmir industrial policy and the attempts of demographic changes in Jammu and Kashmir," it said.

Appealing for people's support to make the proposed shutdown call a success, they said, "It is our collective fight for our collective existence and every citizen should play his part in this regard."