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Hurriyat Conference says no
to participation in polls

Sumir Kaul in New Delhi

The Hurriyat Conference on Tuesday said that nobody from the 23-party amalgam would participate in the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir scheduled for October.

Stating that Kashmir was a 'political issue' that must be resolved through dialogue, former chairman of the separatist conglomerate, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, said the group has decided to constitute an independent election commission in the state.

"This move [to constitute an election commission] has been made to silence our critics who can't digest the fact that we represent a broad spectrum of the people of Jammu and Kashmir," Farooq said.

The Mirwaiz sought to downplay the recent talks between the Hurriyat chairman Abdul Gani Bhat and former divisional commissioner of Kashmir Wajahat Habibullah.

"As far as I believe, that was purely a private meeting where the chairman made it clear that the amalgam would stand for any election aimed at choosing the true representatives of the people of the state to solve the issue [the Kashmir dispute]."

About the proposed election commission, he said the body would hold elections in four phases in Jammu and Kashmir, including Gilgit and Baltistan areas under Pakistani occupation.

PTI

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