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Other States - Jammu & Kashmir

Hurriyat reiterates stand on elections

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR APRIL 28. In the backdrop of the controversies emanating from the Dubai meeting, the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) today said that no power on earth could force the group to change its stand on the Kashmir issue and that elections were no attraction for it. The Hurriyat's executive members are meeting tomorrow to take stock of the situation.

At a seminar on poet Mohammad Iqbal, organised by the former chairman, Syed Ali Geelani, the Hurriyat chief, Abdul Gani Bhat, rejected the theories of a changed situation (after September 11) and said the reality "that Kashmir is a dispute which has to be resolved'' could not be changed.

"We were told that the United States says we should accept it (the changed situation). But India or no India, Pakistan or no Pakistan, the U.S. or no U.S., we will continue our struggle on our own and until the dispute is resolved there is no question of changing our stand... We do have differences among ourselves but these keep us united,'' Prof. Bhat said.

Maintaining that taking part in elections would mean betrayal to the blood (of Kashmiris), he said: "none of us can participate in elections not to say will... I am not going to punish them (who contest) but God and history will."

He said the APHC would not take part in any elections held under Indian dispensation.

However, it would not object if someone wanted to contest the elections, but "in the name of freedom none can contest elections'', he added.

Blaming the media for twisting his statement on jehad, Mr. Geelani said: "jehad meant not only taking to the gun, it meant a vibrant struggle against repression. Whatever steps we take against oppression is jehad and necessarily does not mean resorting to the gun''.

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