Pakistan continued to engage Kashmiri Separatist leaders for the third day in a row despite India making it clear on Monday there was no place for third party in resolving all issues concerning the two neighbours.
It is learnt that Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit on Tuesday held consultations with Separatist leaders in batches and sought their help for building an environment for resolving all disputes between India and Pakistan. The first delegation was led by former chairman of moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference Abdul Gani Bhat which was followed by a team of hardline Hurriyat led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
While Basit has said on Monday that India had no problems with his meeting Hurriyat leaders, Ministry of External Affairs made it clear that “there was no scope for misunderstanding or misrepresenting India’s position on the Hurriyat.”
On Tuesday, Pakistan government responded saying, “Kashmiris are important stakeholders as they are the ones required to exercise their rights to self-determination. Pakistan remains committed to a sustained, unconditional and result-oriented dialogue with India to discuu all outstanding issue, including the core issue of J&K.”
Hurriyat leaders Geelani and Bhat said that while seeking good relations between India and Pakistan, they were first interested in resolving Kashmir issue. “Till Kashmir issue is resolved things cannot move faster as that is main dispute between the two nations,” Geelani told The Pioneer.
“He (Basit) told us that both the countries were moving towards resolution of all outstanding issues including Kashmir. He sought help from Hurriyat Conference in contributing towards building an environment for that,” Bhat said.