Aphc Launches Anti-Poll Campaign

Over seven thousand people, including women and children, came out on the streets at Zoonimar in the summer capital and shouted slogans against elections.

They also shouted pro-freedom slogans. The APHC Chairman Moulvi Umar Farooq Farooq himself launched the campaign. The APHC chairman, standing in an open jeep, was greeted by thousands of people. APHC leaders said they will be holding anti-election rallies in various localities in Srinagar.

Addressing the gathering, the APHC chairman said elections were no solution to the Kashmir problem and they were not substitute for plebiscite.He said Kashmiris' sacrifices were not for elections. Elections will not in any way effect our ongoing struggle, he said.

The Moulvi appealed to the people to remain united at all costs. Other APHC leaders are presently touring Barramullah and Kupwara districts, which go to polls on September 7. They have been addressing gatherings in the two districts in previous two weeks.

A spokesman of the APHC here said that the leaders, during their two week visit to Kupwara and Barramulla, were harassed by the security forces and despite this they continued their campaign. Security forces shelled tearsmoke and used batons to disperse a women demonstration at Maisuma in the city Centre. Nearly two dozen activists of Dukhtarani Milat (Daughters of Nation) came out on the streets shouting slogans against the elections.

Security forces later fired warning shots and used tearsmoke to disperse the women activists who were later joined by youths of the locality.

A prominent videographer of World Wide Television News (WTN) Naseer Ahmad, was seriously injured after being hit by a stone in head. He was shifted to hospital later.