In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, complete shutdown was observed today (Sunday) on the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a mark of protest against New Delhi’s illegal occupation of the territory.

Call for the strike had been given by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference to convey a strong message to the Indian prime minister as well as the global community that Kashmiris would never compromise on their inalienable right to self-determination.

Strict stringent measures were taken while Indian troops and police personnel were deployed in strength in the occupied territory on the Modi’s visit.

Despite random checking of vehicles and frisking of passengers on the check-points, mushroomed in all major cities and towns including Srinagar-Jammu highway, an explosion was heard a few kilometers away from the rally venue of the Indian Prime Minister in Laliana area of Jammu district.

On the APHC appeal, protests and rallies were held in Pakistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and in world major capitals by the Kashmiri diaspora.

APHC-AJK chapter led by its Convener Mohammad Farooq Rehmani held a protest outside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. The AJK Prime Minister, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas was chief guest on the occasion.

A sit-in was staged at Burhan Wani Chowk in Muzaffarabad wherein participants holding black flags chanted "Go Modi Go Back" slogans. The anti-Modi protest was led by Kashmiri leader Uzair Ahmad Ghazali.

Meanwhile, in order to launch the freedom struggle in a more robust and unified way, political leaders and workers associated with various factions of Hurriyat have reached a consensus to work under the banner of single platform of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference.

The APHC spokesman while divulging the details in a statement issued in Srinagar said that India’s ruthless actions taken particularly in the wake of August 2019 act of unilaterally annexing Jammu and Kashmir, illegal arrests of thousands of political leaders and activists under draconian law, Public Safety Act, planned murders and arson and Modi’s wicked agenda of diluting the Muslim character of the territory brought all the groups closer to launch the freedom movement from APHC’s single platform.

APHC Chairman Masarrat Aalam Butt, vice Chairmen Shabbir Ahmed Shah and Ghulam Ahmed Gulzar while hailing unity urged all newly joined groups to strengthen their set-ups in respective areas to spearhead the freedom movement on war-footing.