In Occupied Kashmir, complete shutdown was observed on Sunday to mark the martyrdom anniversary of prominent Kashmiri liberation leader, Muhammad Maqbool Butt.

He had been hanged in New Delhi's Tihar jail on this day in 1984 and was buried in the jail premises.

Call for the strike was given by the joint resistance leadership comprising Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik to press for the return of the mortal remains of Muhammad Maqbool Butt and Muhammad Afzal Guru to their families.

All shops and business establishments remained closed while traffic was off the road. Train service also remained suspended in the valley due to the strike.

The puppet authorities had imposed curfew and other restrictions across the valley, especially in Srinagar, Kupwara and Sopore to prevent people from staging anti-India protests and conducting a march towards the UN office at Sonawar in Srinagar.

However, defying curfew and restrictions, people from all walks of life gathered at Maisuma and marched towards the UN office to submit a memorandum, demanding the return of the martyrs’ remains.

Police intercepted the march and arrested several resistance leaders and activists.