ISLAMABAD Aug 30: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Friday expressed Pakistan’s solidarity with the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) in boycotting the sham elections being held under the shadow of over 700,000 Indian armed forces in the occupied Kashmir.

He was talking to former AJK premier and chairman of the National Kashmir Committee Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan, who called on him at his office.

Sardar Qayyum told the president that not only the APHC but other elements like Shabbir Shah and even non-Muslim communities were supporting the APHC boycott of the elections.

He said the struggle to liberate the occupied Valley was indigenous, and unrelated to terrorism.

He added that the government of Pakistan had neither sponsored nor had it anything to do with the ongoing movement of the Kashmiris across Line of Control and, hence, the allegations of cross-border terrorism was not valid.

President Musharraf and Sardar Qayyum discussed the projection of the Kashmir issue on international level, with special reference to the latter’s recent visits to European and Commonwealth countries..

According to official sources, Sardar Qayyum discussed with the president the situation arising out of the public outburst against the project aimed at raising the Mangla dam.

The president assured the people of AJK that the project would be implemented only after the affected people, both old and new, were satisfied with the government’s package of compensation and rehabilitation.

The president referred to his directives to Wapda to assess and arrange compensation to the old affectees of the Mangla dam and to chalk out concrete programme for the rehabilitation and payment of compensation to the satisfaction of the new affectees.

Sardar Qayyum also discussed various development projects like the supply of gas to Mirpur and setting up of the proposed dry port there.