Separatist outfits imposed a shutdown in the Kashmir Valley on Saturday,a day after a blast claimed the life of Maulvi Showkat Shah,the chief of the Jamiat-Ahle-Hadis in Srinagar. Streets of Srinagar wore a deserted look as shops,schools and offices remains closed. Authorities mobilized and deployed hundreds of armed security personnel to patrol the area and quell the simmering unrest. Residents urged the government to bring the culprits to book at the earliest. "Our cleric was killed in the attack yesterday. We do not know who killed him and for what reason. A shutdown has been imposed in this area. Our lives have been disrupted,shops and schools are closed; the life of everyone has been affected, said a resident. According to media reports,Shah could have been the main target of the attack since he had angered many by denouncing stone- pelting protests witnessed last year. He had deemed the action as ''un-Islamic.''
