Yasin Malik on hunger strike to protest against separate Kashmiri Pandit enclaves

Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik on Saturday led a 30-hour long hunger strike in protest against the proposed separate township for Kashmiri Pandits in the Kashmir Valley.

"People who are living here have a tradition to live together in joint colonies in villages and towns. From last 5-6 years more than 5,000 Kashmiri Pandits have come back and are living with Kashmiri Muslims in joint mohallas," said Malik.

"The government has given a concept that they'll be living in separate colonies, this means you are allowing them to live in an atmosphere of fear," he added.

The JKLF chief further asserted that there was a clear message from Kashmiri Pandits, Sikhs and Muslims living in the Valley that they all want to live together.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had earlier said that he would take all stakeholders into confidence before accepting Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's request for creating separate zones for Kashmiri Pandits in the state.

The separatist leaders have been vehemently opposed to separate townships for Kashmiri Pandits and had even called for a complete shutdown across the valley over the issue.