Separatists withdraw strike call

Separatists today withdrew their strike call for tomorrow, a day after the Election Commission postponed the Anantnag Lok Sabha by-poll to May 25.
"We have withdrawn tomorrow's strike call as the so- called election has been put off," the separatist leaders said in a statement.
The Election Commission had yesterday decided to postpone the Anantnag bypoll to May 25, after eight persons were killed in a firing by the security forces during polling for Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency on Sunday.
The statement issued jointly by Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik also called on people to march to Budgam district headquarters on Friday.

"To pay homage to the young martyrs (youth killed on April 9) and express solidarity with their families, the joint resistance leadership and people will offer joint Friday prayers in Budgam," the separatists said.
Commenting on the 7.14 per cent voter turnout in Srinagar constituency, they said the people's verdict has been loud and clear as to their "commitment to achieving their fundamental political right".
"Government of India's own index of treating elections as a gauge of people's faith in Indian democracy stand completely exposed as they were completely rejected and resisted by the people in one part of the valley and forced to postpone the elections in another," they added.

The separatists had called for a strike Wednesday, the day on which polling was scheduled to be held for Anantnag seat.