Moderate Hurriyat not for election boycott

In a significant development, the moderate Hurriyat group led by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq on Thursday decided not to call for a boycott of parliamentary elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

In a significant development, the moderate Hurriyat group led by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq on Thursday decided not to call for a boycott of parliamentary elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

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After three days of discussions here, the group announced that the elections were no alternative to "the right to self-determination" but did not specifically ask Kashmiris to keep away from the polls. "Elections were not an alternative for the right to self-determination and the conglomerate considered elections in Kashmir a non-issue," it said in a statement.

Though the statement said the Hurriyat arrived at a decision not to press for a boycott, reports said its constituents were divided over the issue since its boycott appeal was overlooked by the people during the December 2008 assembly elections.

The hardline Hurriyat group headed by Syed Ali Geelani and the United Jehad Council (UJC) of the armed separatist groups have already called for an election boycott in Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir elects six members to the Lok Sabha including three from the Kashmir Valley.