Srinagar: Claiming that elections were no solution to the Kashmir issue, the
Hurriyat Conference on September 16 reverted to its earlier stand demanding
tripartite talks involving India, Pakistan and the conglomerate itself.
"India should now realise that election is no solution to Kashmir dispute. We demand
that India should immediately initiate tripartite talks with Pakistan and Hurriyat
Conference for final settlement notwithstanding the elections, HC chairman Abdul
Gani Bhat told reporters.
Asserting that there was very low turnout of voters in first phase of elections on
September 16, Bhat said the response showed that people were not interested in the
polls and also that if the "Army was not sent in the fields, the voter turnout would
have been zero".
"We also have reports that after diplomats, observers and journalists left the poll
sites, the Army entered the homes in the villages and forced people to cast their
votes," he said, adding Hurriyat would provide the list of such
villagers.
According to Bhat, not more than 15 per cent would have cast their votes and if a
higher figure was being given by the officials "it would be inflated and
manipulated".
Bhat also claimed that the Hurriyat's call for a strike on the day of poll was near-
complete.
PTI
