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Hurriyat names members of its Election Commission

Mukhtar Ahmed in Srinagar

The All Parties Hurriyat Conference on Tuesday named members of its 'Election Commission'.

The six-member body includes two 'chief commissioners', Justice Sajjid Ali Shah, former chief justice of Pakistan and Tapan Bose, leading human rights activist.

The body also includes four other members, including prominent journalist Ved Bhasin from Jammu, Justice Khursheed from Pakistan occupied Kashmir, former Harvard professor Siddiq and Dr Zaffar Mehdi from Kashmir.

Talking to the media, APHC chairman Abdul Gani Bhat said that his organisation would not participate in the impending assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir.

"We seek a seat on a peace table for talks to resolve the Kashmir issue and not a seat in the state assembly," he said.

"Kashmir is an internationally recognised disputed territory. Both Pakistan and India recognise it as a dispute, which constitutes a threat to peace in the region. As a result, the people of J&K are yet to exercise their choice to determine their future," Bhat said.

PTI adds:
The Hurriyat appealed to Prime Minister Vajpayee and Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf to join their effort to resolve the Kashmir issue.

"We appeal to the prime minister, who had said that he wanted a lasting solution to the problem of Jammu and Kashmir but did not want to walk down the beaten track, to join us in our efforts," Hurriyat chairman Abdul Gani Bhat told reporters in Srinagar after the 23-party amalgam's executive meeting.

Describing Vajpayee and Musharraf as 'two very good persons', Bhat also appealed to the international community to help in 'our just and legitimate struggle for peace'.

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