Srinagar: The separatists today withdrew their five-day protest calendar, including a strike called on August 29, after the Supreme Court (SC) deferred the hearing of a PIL, seeking abrogation of Article 35-A.
Both the faction of Hurriyat Conference (HC) and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) in a joint statement issued here this evening said that they have withdrawn the strike call on August 29, besides the five-day protest calendar, which was scheduled to start from today.
Besides the protest calendar starting from today, the separatists had given a strike call on August 29, when the SC was likely to hear the plea challenging the validity of Article 35-A. The strike had already been backed by trade bodies in Kashmir, including Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF) and Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA). However, the SC today agreed to hear after Diwali, the pleas challenging Article 35 A.
But, earlier in the day, lawyers, including Bar Association members, staged protests at many places in Kashmir valley against alleged attempts being made to abrogate Article 35-A. The separatists had urged District Bar Associations to hold protests in their respective districts against the alleged attempts to abrogate Article 35-A, accords special rights and privileges to the citizens of the Jammu and Kashmir.
The mainstream political parties, including National Conference (NC), CPI (M) and Congress, besides civil society, have called for a united fight against the alleged attempts to abrogate the Article.
