Srinagar:
Breaking away from the separatist ranks, People's Conference leader Sajjad Lone on Saturday announced his decision to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, becoming the first secessionist to join the democratic process.
Making the announcement at a press conference here, 42-year-old Lone said that he was aspiring to enter Parliament to raise the voice of Kashmiris.
He noted that Pakistan or "some agencies" may not like his decision but underlined that he needed to make a bid to reach Parliament as he wanted "bigger platform" to "represent Kashmiri people".
Lone, son of one of Hurriyat Conference's founder leaders Abdul Ghani Lone, said he should not be "pre-judged" but allowed to pursue his "new method" of the same "ideology".
"Give me a chance... Pray for my victory," he said.