Srinagar May 17 (IANS) Separatists in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday dubbed the ceasefire announced by the Indian government "a cruel joke on the people of the (Kashmir) Valley".
The Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) a conglomerate headed by Syed Ali Geelani Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik met at Geelani s residence to deliberate on the various dimensions of what they called "Operation Halt" announced by the Home Ministry.
A statement issued by the group said: "Operation Halt is a cruel joke with the freedom-loving people of Kashmir engaged in a legitimate movement for right to self-determination."
The statement added that the people of the Kashmir Valley believe in permanent peace rather than a relaxation in killing for one month. People want a permanent halt to the war thrust on them by New Delhi.
The separatists called the Wednesday announcement "a ploy to hoodwink opinion both at national and international level".
Earlier addressing a seminar at Rajbagh headquarters of the Hurriyat conference Mirwaiz Umer Farooq said: "Calling for strikes to register our protest is our compulsion. We shall soon come up with an alternate strategy of registering our protest."
On Wednesday the Indian government announced a ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir during the holy month of Ramadan but said it would hit back if militants resorted to violence.

--IANS sq/ahm/mr