Life came to a standstill as Kashmir observed shutdown to protest the execution of the Kashmiri militant Afzal Guru on Wednesday, the main conspirator of 2001 parliament attack. A local, Peer Ghulam Mohi-Ud-Din said that Mashawarti committee would continue to strike till the mortal remains of Afazal Guru are returned to his family. “Mashawarti committee (Muslim organisation) has called for a shutdown after a meeting as they demand that mortal remains of Afzal Guru should be returned to his family.
All the schools, shops remained closed and public transport remained off the roads. They will continue to strike again and again till the family of Afzal Guru does not get his mortal remains,” said Mohi-Ud-Din. Mashawarti committee (Muslim organisation) called for a strike on Wednesday in Srinagar, as they demanded the return of Guru”s mortal remains to his family. The city wore a deserted look as the shops and all educational institutions remained closed and public transport remained off the roads.
The execution took place on the 9th of February after the President Pranab Mukherjee rejected a mercy petition from Mohammad Afzal Guru and he was hanged in the jail premises in the morning on Saturday. Restrictions on movements were imposed in major towns of Kashmir early in anticipation of protests against the hanging. Hundreds of paramilitary forces and police were deployed to the region, which is prone to separatist violence. The execution followed the hanging of Mohammad Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving militant of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, last year.
Five gunmen stormed the heavily guarded parliament complex in New Delhi on December 13, 2001 carrying grenades, guns and explosives, but security forces killed them before they could enter the lawmakers” chamber. Ten other people, mostly security officers, were killed in the exchange of fire. Indian national, Guru was convicted for helping organise arms for the parliament marauders and a place for them to stay. Guru had denied any involvement in the conspiracy. (ANI)