COLOMBO: Indian Press correspondents reporting the so-called by-elections in occupied Kashmir admitted that the boycott call by Sheikh Abdullah and the Plebiscite Front was very effective. Both in Safakadal and Badgam electorates, the bulk of Kashmiris remained indoors rejecting puppet Premier Sadiq’s appeal to cast their votes.

Indian Express News Service correspondent in his despatch states: “Some polling stations registered as few as three votes while in couple of other booths no votes were cast at all.”

Kashmiri leaders Sheikh Abdullah, Mirza Afzal Beg and Maulvi Farooq, in personal messages applauded Kashmiris for their courage in showing the whole world that they had neither faith nor acceptance of the fictitious Kashmir Legislative Assembly established by Hindu rulers in order to suppress their basic democratic rights.

Plebiscite volunteers today took out several processions defying prohibitory orders and shouting slogans “Indians get out of Kashmir”, “honour your plebiscite promises”, “Kashmiris and Pakistanis are allies not foes”.

India’s Election Commissioner S.P. Sen, who arrived in Srinagar to personally conduct the elections, cancelled his earlier engagement — to be interviewed by Press — without giving any reason.`

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2018