August 17, 2002	Saturday	Jamadi-us-Saani 7, 1423

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NEW DELHI, Aug 16: An Indian government team opened talks with Kashmiri leaders on Friday to persuade them to participate in elections to the held state’s assembly.

The Kashmir Committee met moderate leader Shabir Shah of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party in Srinagar.

The seven-member delegation is scheduled to hold talks with a number of Kashmiri leaders over the next few days to persuade them to participate in the elections scheduled for next month.

Most Kashmiri groups have, however, already said they will not participate in the elections, stating that similar polls in the past have been rigged.

Moulvi Abbas Ansari, a senior leader of the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC), said the organization would soon chalk out a strategy to ensure the elections were boycotted. Elections are to be held in the held state on Sept 16, 24, Oct 1 and 8.

An electoral official, Pramod Jain, said the elections would be the most crucial in India after 1947.

“I assure people that free and fair elections would be conducted, and a peaceful atmosphere would be created, which will allow them to elect their representatives,” Jain was quoted as saying by the United News of India.—dpa