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All Party Hurriyat Conference chairman Abdul Gani Bhat has indicated that the conglomerate's election commission might hold its first meeting in a third country because of hurdles being placed by both India and Pakistan.
Bhat told rediff.com from his residence in Srinagar that India and Pakistan are not willing to issue visas to the members of the commission.
He said that the United Kingdom and the United States of America were being considered as possible venues.
"The commission will not conduct state assembly elections. It would merely establish the bonafides of the APHC as an organization, which represents the aspirations of the people of Kashmir," he pointed out.
He welcomed the decision of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to visit Jammu and Kashmir with Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani and Defence Minister George Fernandes.
"I hope something concrete comes out of the visit. Earlier, instead of talking to us directly, he chose to appoint K C Pant as the government's interlocutor," he said.
He was not optimistic about Hurriyat leaders being invited to meet the prime minister but said that, if invited, they could certainly consider the proposal.
He called on both India and Pakistan to initiate a dialogue and find a permanent solution to the J&K problem.
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