September 25, 2002	Wednesday	Rajab 17, 1423

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

SRINAGAR, Sept 24: The long-serving chief minister of occupied Kashmir, Mr Farooq Abdullah, on Tuesday bowed out of politics.

“Finally I am now out of politics,” he informed reporters in the Sonawar area of Srinagar, after casting his vote in the second phase of controversial elections in the held state.

Abdullah, who has been chief minister for 14 out of the past 20 years, had already said that he will stand down following the election.

“I think it was a great relief for me (to cast a vote),” said Abdullah, who was accompanied to the high-security polling booth at a private school by his son, Omar Abdullah. Omar was elected chief of the ruling National Conference party in June, taking over from his father.

The two were among the only voters at the otherwise empty polling booth, ringed by police, paramilitary forces and special commandos.—AFP