Srinagar: Senior separatist leader Shabir Shah on October 2 questioned the rationale of foreign diplomats witnessing the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, saying it was not meant for resolution of the Kashmir issue but had only administrative use.

Shah, president of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party, also criticised the Centre over its Kashmir policy, saying, "It is indulging in ad-hocism and has no vision".

"These polls have no meaning as far as resolution of the Kashmir issue is concerned. I wonder why the foreign countries are giving importance to these polls which may at best have administrative use," he told reporters in Srinagar.

Pointing out that none of the separatist leaders had contested the elections, Shah said witnessing of the polls by foreign diplomats would have meaning if the separatists had contested.

"Witnessing of the polls by the foreign diplomats have no meaning as they were taken on conducted tour by the government and were shown what the government wanted," he said.

Shah said he was not against democratic process but opposed linking of the current elections with the resolution of the Kashmir issue.

"Feeling cheated by the Vajpayee government", Shah alleged "It is not sincere and serious in resolving the Kashmir issue".

PTI