A day after Government sources in New Delhi talked about an “appropriate response” to Pakistan’s provocative move of consulting Kashmiri separatist leaders ahead of the National Security Adviser (NSA)-level talks, a high-voltage drama unfolded in Srinagar where all the known separatist leaders were detained by authorities in Jammu & Kashmir for nearly two hours.
Official sources in New Delhi said detention of the separatists was a message to Pakistan that there was no third party to the discussions between India and Pakistan on the issue of terror.
Pakistan’s NSA Sartaj Aziz will reach New Delhi on Sunday and hold talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval on Monday. However, Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit has hosted a reception for Aziz on Sunday evening and invited separatist leaders as well.
The Indian Government had last year cancelled Foreign Secretary-level talks over Pakistan High Commissioner’s invite to Hurriyat leaders for discussion ahead of the talks. But this time, hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani will meet Aziz only after his talks with Doval.
Sources said through backchannel diplomacy, Geelani has been persuaded to reach New Delhi on Monday and meet Aziz.
Authorities in Kashmir on Thursday morning house-arrested Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Ashraf Sehrai, Ayaz Akbar and Abbas Ansari while JKlF chief Yasin Malik was lodged at a local police station. However, by afternoon, barring Geelani, curbs were lifted on all leaders. Geelani continues to be under house-arrest since April this year. No official from the police or civil administration offered reasons for the detention and separatist leaders alleged that the State Government was acting at the directions of the Central Government.
“Curbs were imposed on many leaders’ movements in the morning. Though police parties left after two hours but the siege around Geelani’s residence continues. He has not been allowed to move around freely for several months now,” said Ayaz Akbar, spokesman of Hurriyat Conference.
While Yasin Malik has decided to skip the meeting with Aziz and would send two of his party colleagues, Ghulam Nabi Edhi and Showkat Bakshi, to attend the reception in New Delhi, Geelani will reach the national Capital on Monday to meet Aziz after the NSA-level talks. However, other moderate separatist leaders Mirwaiz and Shabir Shah are expected to reach New Delhi by Sunday afternoon to attend the dinner hosted by the Pakistani envoy.
Officials said that while India is all focused to discuss some “hard issues” relating “only to terrorism”, Pakistan is keen to drag Kashmir on to the talk table. Though it is only the first of the formal meetings between the NSAs, it is learnt that India wants a fast-paced response from Pakistan in combating the menace of terrorism.
Meanwhile, criticising the detain-release act of Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Opposition National Conference leader Omar Abdullah tweeted: “I’ve never seen an Indo-Pak dialogue where both sides are so keen to sabotage it. India & Pakistan competing to give reasons to call off talks.”
He claimed that during his regime, the Hurriyat leaders were never detained ahead of their visits to Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.