Partial response to shutdown over president's J&K visit

The shutdown called by separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani against President Pranab Mukherjee's Jammu and Kashmir visit received partial response on Thursday.

While shops, schools and business establishments remained closed here, very few public and private vehicles plied on the city roads. Government offices, banks and post offices functioned normally.

The main markets in some far flung areas of the Valley remained shut. However, many shops in these areas remained open.

Police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in full riot gear were deployed in sensitive areas here to ensure security during the president's visit.

No untoward incident has been reported from anywhere in the city.

The United Jehad Council (UJC), a conglomerate of various guerrilla groups based in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, has supported the shutdown call.

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