Mirwaiz Hurriyat says no to elections till Kashmir resolution

Sumbal, North Kashmir, Apr 18 (UNI) Moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq today asserted that the separatist amalgam would not take part in any election process till the Kashmir issue was resolved in an amicable and lasting manner.

He sought to put at rest the speculation that the moderate Hurriyat Conference would participate in the next Assembly polls.

''There are rumours floating that the Hurriyat Conference will take part in the next elections. Let me announce from this platform that the Hurriyat Conference will not take part in any election process till the Kashmir issue was resolved permanently,'' the Mirwaiz told a public gathering here.

He said there have been elections in Jammu and Kashmir since 1947, but the contentious issue was yet to be resolved.

The Mirwaiz said the Hurriyat Conference took the initiative and held talks with both India and Pakistan on Kashmir.

''While Pakistan has shown a considerable degree of flexibility on the vexed Kashmir issue, India is adamant and unrelenting.

Pakistan has understood our viewpoint, but India lacks seriousness and sincerity,'' he added.

The Hurriyat chairman said Kashmir was not an internal matter of India, but an issue recognised as dispute at an international level.

He said the resolution of the Kashmir issue has entered a decisive stage. ''The Kashmir issue is moving forward at a good pace. The three parties -- India, Pakistan and the people of Jammu and Kashmir -- should sit together and find ways and means to resolve the issue,'' the Mirwaiz added.

He lauded Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf for putting forth a four-point formula to resolve the Kashmir issue, saying the proposals would form the basis for the resolution of the problem.

The Mirwaiz claimed that the Hurriyat Conference was the true and genuine representative of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and would never allow anybody to play with their sentiments.

He lashed out at the Peoples Democratic Party for giving the slogans of self-rule and demilitarisation, saying the party responsible for heavy deployment of armed forces in Jammu and Kashmir cannot claim to be the ''messiah'' of people.

Mirwaiz Farooq also criticised the National Conference for its recent appeals to include the Hizbul Mujahideen in the ongoing dialogue process, saying the party had back-stabbed the people in 1996 by participating in the elections and was instrumental in killing of hundreds and thousands of innocent civilians.

''We are the representatives of the people and the militants as well, and not those who have killed them,'' he added.

The Hurriyat chairman said there were efforts by the vested interests to divide the separatists.

''We should be aware of those elements. Unity is the need of the hour. We should unite for the larger interests and ensure that the vexed issue is resolved in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,'' he added.

UNI