Separatists give boycott call for J&K Panchayat elections

Separatists in Kashmir on Monday called for a boycott of panchayat and urban local bodies polls scheduled to be held from next month.

A statement in this regard was issued after a meeting of the so called Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) comprising separatists Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik at Geelani's residence in Hyderpora.

It alleged that the Centre wants to thrust and enforce panchayat and municipal elections upon the people of Kashmir and that "New Delhi has never believed in empowering the people of J&K or the institutions here".

Elections have "only been a means" to further strengthen "New Delhi's hold on J&K", the statement alleged.

Despite similar boycott calls by separatists, Jammu and Kashmir registered its highest voter turn-out in 2014 assembly elections in the last 25 years with an estimated 65 per cent of electorate casting their votes.

The last panchayat elections in the state were held in April-May 2011 with a record voter turnout of 80 per cent.

The panchayat elections were scheduled to be held in 2016 but were put off due to unrest in the Valley after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani.