Abdullah asks moderate Hurriyat to contest polls

Dec 13, 2007, 16:50 GMT

Srinagar, Dec 13 (IANS) National Conference (NC) president Omar Abdullah Thursday asked leaders of the moderate Hurriyat to contest the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, due next year, and get people's views on their stand.

'Mirwaiz Umer Farooq has now said his group is ready to discuss a pre-1953 status for the state with some modifications. His group must join the next assembly elections to get the people's endorsement for their stand,' Abdullah told a party rally in the Pulwama town, 32 km from here.

He also took a dig at the People's Democratic Party (PDP) of former chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, which is part of the ruling coalition in Jammu and Kashmir.

'They had promised two government jobs for every Kashmiri family. After getting power in the state it seems they have forgotten everything they promised the voters here,' the NC president said.

At the south Kashmir rally, seen here as part of the NC's warm-up for the assembly elections due next year, Abdullah promised government jobs to the youth if his party was voted to power.

Abdullah also said his party would soon make public the list of its candidates for the next assembly elections.

© 2007 Indo-Asian News Service