Speaking in the local TV’s Hard Talk show , Lone argued that the “politics of boycott” have only strengthened the politicians who he said were responsible for ‘martyring’ Kashmiris.
“1989 has to be understood. Kashmiris vomited out these politicians and they packed off to Delhi. Then we boycotted polls and the same vomit is now being splattered over us. I and my party are not in favor of boycott, though we have not decided yet about participating in the elections.”
To a question if his party seeks resolution of Kashmir dispute through participation in polls, Sajjad argued, “This assembly is purely for governance and has no power to resolve Kahsmir dispute, although one can highlight the issue from this platform. Had it been so strong, NC’s autonomy resolution would not have been junked.”
If so, why is he against boycott? “Mufti Syed used to lose his deposits and Farooq had gone into hiding. It’s our ill calculated boycott politics that brought them back. Had there been no boycott in 1996 or 2002 we would have got a new breed of youth running the state.”
Sajjad scathingly criticized both National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party holding them equally responsible for the killings in Kashmir. Terming the PDP’s self-rule and NC’s internal autonomy concept as an ‘illusion’, he said, “This is mere theatrics. There is no difference between autonomy and self-rule. When some nation is occupied by some strong country such concepts are floated.”
Sajjad responded cautiously to PDP President, Mahbooba Mufti’s recent visit to Pakistan and her joint press conference with PPP cochairman Asif Zardari. “I am happy that the mainstream politicians are competing with each other to visit Pakistan for photo opportunity. It shows how dependent they are on Pakistan. But here in Kashmir they pretend as if New Delhi is their enemy. They tell people Dilli waloon ne ye kiya, wo kiya...But tell me who are Dilli wale…Farooq is New Delhi, Mufti is new Delhi, whom they are trying to befool.” Khalid Jehangir, The Cheers News
Khalid Jehangir, 
