Kashmir violence: Separatists to extend strike call for 3 more days

Srinagar: In a joint statement issued by the Hurriyat Leadership, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik have extended protests and complete shutdown for the next 72 hours starting from today morning till Monday evening.

"On 16th of July, the people are appealed to observe protests after Maghrib prayers and raise pro freedom slogans of right to self determination," the statement said.

"While continuing the protest strike on July 17, the people of the valley are asked to visit the families of recent martyrs and injured in order to pay tribute to their courageous roles in the on-going freedom struggle of Kashmir," it added.

Furthermore, on July 18, the people of Kashmir will organise a freedom march on their respective district headquarters.

"Hurriyat leadership and Kashmiris are thankful to the Government and people of Pakistan for their unflinching support for the freedom struggle of Kashmiris. We welcome the call from Government of Pakistan call to observe July 19 as 'Black Day' to apprise the world about the ongoing genocide of Kashmiris by Indian forces and to aware them about the struggle of Kashmiris for right to self determination," it added.

In resolve to the black day call, the separatists appealed to the people of Kashmir and Kashmiris living abroad to observe July 19 as 'Black Day'.

The shutdown call comes in wake of protests following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani earlier on July 8.

At least 37 people have died in the protests following Wani's killing last week. India has slammed Pakistan for glorifying terrorists and also for declaring Wani a martyr.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Vikas Swarup on Friday said India completely and unequivocally rejects in the entirety the decisions adopted by the Cabinet of Pakistan on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

On the call of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Federal Cabinet on Friday decided that the country will observe July 19 as 'Black Day' against the Indian "barbarism in the Kashmir Valley."

Prime Minister Sharif said that Pakistan will continue to extend moral, political and diplomatic support for Kashmiris in their just struggle for "right to self-determination."

He added the "Indian brutalities" will give impetus to the freedom struggle, which even the seven hundred thousand Indian soldiers deployed in Kashmir could not suppress. He went on to call the 22-year-old Hizbul Mujahideen leader as "martyr" of the independence movement.