APHC to boycott Kashmir elections later this year
'Pakistan Times' Kashmir Desk

SRINAGAR (IHK): The All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) will boycott the Kashmir elections to be held later this year.

Formal announcement to this effect is expected on May 21 in Srinagar during the commemoration of the death anniversary of its two senior leaders, Mirwaiz Moulvi Farooq, father of the APHC chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who was martyred 18 years ago and Abdul Gani Lone.

APHC sources say that “the APHC leadership has come to believe that participation in the Assembly elections is a futile exercise because the process of election or selection has never settled the Kashmir issue.”

The sources said “since 1952 several elections were held but none could resolve the basic problem of Kashmir and the polls had failed to fulfil the aspirations of people”.

Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Shah Gilani has already announced to boycott the elections and has called upon the people to stay away from the elections process.

The APHC will also announce its future strategy. The APHC leaders are likely to visit Islamabad anytime next month and the party may take people into confidence.●