While Sajad Lone, who heads the Peoples Conference, is canvassing door-to-door for votes, his Pakistan-based separatist father-in-law Amanullah Khan describes elections "a drama that every sane person can understand is being held under the barrel of gun".
Reacting to the ongoing polls from Pakistan, separatist JKLF patron Khan, according to the JKLF spokesman, has lambasted the poll process."India, instead of the election gimmicks, should provide Kashmiris their birth right of freedom," said Khan in a statement issued in Srinagar on Thursday.
He alleged that the "election drama is an eye wash and attempt to befool international community."
Khan's daughter is married to Lone, the first influential separatist-turned-mainstream politician to contest assembly polls since 1990s from north Kashmir's Handwara constituency.
"Every sane person can understand the originality of these so-called elections that are being held under the barrel of about one million Indian forces," he alleged.
Khan also criticised the authorities' move to stop JKLF chief Yasin Malik's anti-poll boycott campaign in the state.
"How can Indian democracy that has arrested thousands of people including JKLF chairman claim victory? Elections are conducted under the shadow of fear and blackmailing," he alleged.
{{/usCountry}}"How can Indian democracy that has arrested thousands of people including JKLF chairman claim victory? Elections are conducted under the shadow of fear and blackmailing," he alleged.
{{/usCountry}}He asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "fulfill his international obligations about flood-hit Kashmiris."
"India should know that Kashmiris have not and will never sell out their freedom for these so-called elections," he added.