SRINAGAR, Aug 10: Authorities placed two leaders under house arrest in occupied Kashmir on Sunday to prevent them from leading a march to Azad Kashmir in protest against a Hindu trade blockade, police and one of the detainees said.

Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Omer Farooq, factional leaders in the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, were placed under house arrest, according to a senior police official who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media.

“Police and paramilitary soldiers cordoned off my home and even prevented me from attending the Hurriyat meeting,” Farooq told The Associated Press by phone from his home in occupied Srinagar.

Traders have warned that occupied Kashmir faces shortages of food and medicine because of the blockade of the main highway linking the Valley to India, from where much of the disputed territory’s supplies come.

Leaders of the Hurriyat have planned a Monday march to Azad Kashmir in protest against the blockade. “Come what may, we’ll carry on with our march,” Farooq said.

Indian Home Minister Shivraj Patil visited Srinagar on Sunday and appealed to traders not to join the march. He promised to restore normalcy as quickly as possible. It is unlikely that the Indian government will allow the protesters to cross the de facto border into Pakistani territory.—Agencies