Normal life in Kashmir Valley was paralysed on Monday following a general strike called by separatist organisations to protest Pope Benedict XVI's remarks on Prophet Muhammad, official sources said.

The pontiff has since apologised for his remarks. All educational institutions, shops and business establishments were closed.

Public transport was off the roads and attendance in government offices was thin, the sources said.

The Hurriyat faction led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, supported by the Kashmir high court bar association, the Dukhtaran-e-Millat, traders and several other groups, gave the strike call.

Several separatist and mainstream parties in Kashmir have been protesting against the remarks.