Strike called in Kashmir to protest Dec 13 verdict

18 December 2002
The Times of India

Srinagar: Protesting the death sentence on three accused in the December 13 Parliament attack case, the Kashmir Bar Association and two militant outfits have called for observance of a general strike across the Valley on Thursday. In a written statement, the Kashmir Bar Association asked the people of the state to observe complete bandh on Thursday against the verdict of special Pota court. Terming the verdict as ‘‘repression against the freedom-lovers’’, the Bar statement said the trial of the accused was ‘‘a drama of the Central leadership as there was no evidence to prove the accused guilty’’. The Bar even asked the lawyers to join the protest. The Dukhtar-e- Milat and the Hizbullah militant groups have endorsed the bandh call for two days. Separatist leader Shabir Shah said an appeal would be filed in the high court challenging the verdict in the case. On Wednesday too, shopkeepers in Baramulla downed their shutters to protest the verdict.