Friday, July 28 2006 17:47 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Srinagar: The Kashmir valley was paralysed Friday as the separatist hardline group of the Hurriyat Conference called for a strike to protest the visit of President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

All shops, business establishments, schools, banks and government offices were shut in this summer capital as the general shutdown called by Syed Ali Geelani's Hurriyat faction came into effect. There was skeletal traffic on the roads with the shutdown affecting inter-district transport.

Police and paramilitary troops were patrolling the streets and barricades were erected in the city centre Lal Chowk with vehicles being subjected to thorough searches.

Given the sensitivities of the visit, the seven-kilometre road stretch from Dalgate to the Nishat garden was sealed by troops and paramilitary troopers.

President Kalam, who arrives here this afternoon, is scheduled to address the joint session of the state legislature in the high security Shere-e-Kashmir International Convention Complex (SKICC) on the Dalgate-Nishat road.

The president arrived in the cold desert region of Ladakh Friday morning. He was received at the Leh airport by Governor S.K. Sinha, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, senior ministers and officers of the army, police and civil officials.

The president is inaugurating the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Literacy for all) programme in Leh today and will visit a historic Buddhist monastery before he leaves for Srinagar in the afternoon.

On Saturday, Kalam is scheduled to inaugurate the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court here.