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| September 18, 2002 | Wednesday | Rajab 10, 1423 |
‘Elections to boost morale of Kashmiris’
ISLAMABAD, Sept 17: The Pakistan chapter of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference termed on Tuesday the first phase of elections in occupied Kashmir a flop show, and asked the international community to exert pressure on India for an early negotiated settlement of the Kashmir dispute as promised under the UN resolutions.
Speaking at a press conference here, Yusuf Nasim, convener of the APHC Pakistan chapter, said the first phase of election drama would boost the morale of the Kashmiri people who had waged a struggle for the freedom of their homeland.
With a dismal turnout of 3 to 5 per cent as admitted by the Indian media in areas where Indian army’s presence was overwhelming, the second and third phases of the polls would further expose the Indian designs.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof Ashraf Sarraf said: “It will be better for India to drop the idea of going ahead with next phases of elections and start taking confidence-building measures both with Kashmiri people and Pakistan.”
When asked what would be the outcome of election drama, Yusuf Nasim said: “Instead of achieving anything, the sham elections will lead to more violence, coercion and intimidation by the over 700,000 Indian security personnel deployed in the state.”
“The world should no more be misguided by the false Indian propaganda that the drama in the name of election could be alternative to promised plebiscite,” he said.
The international community appeared to be backing out of the promise that India would be asked to come to dialogue table once hostilities stopped, he said.
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