Days ahead of separatist leaders’ proposed visit to New Delhi to meet Pakistan’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Sartaj Aziz, the authorities in Kashmir put curbs on their movement only to lift them in a few hours. No official explained the action that evoked flak from former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah who claimed his regime never blocked separatist leaders’ meeting with visiting Pakistani dignitaries in New Delhi.
The authorities on Thursday morning house-arrested Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Ashraf Sehrai, Ayaz Akbar and Abbas Ansari, while JKlF chief Yasin Malik was lodged at a local police station. However, in the afternoon, barring Geelani the curbs were lifted on all leaders. Geelani continues to be under house-arrest since April this year.
No official from police or civil administration offered reasons for the detention and subsequent release of these leaders. The separatist leaders alleged the State Government was acting at the directions of Central Government.
“The curbs were imposed on many leaders’ movements in the morning. The police parties left after several hours but the siege around Geelani Sahib’s residence continues. He is not being allowed to move around freely for several months,” Ayaz Akbar, spokesman of hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference, who was himself house-detained, said.
The imposition of curbs is being linked to separatist leaders’ proposed meeting with Aziz at the Pakistan High Commission. Geelani has decided to arrive in Delhi on August 24 but other leaders are planning to attend the Reception at High Commission on August 23.
JKlF chief Malik has decided to skip the meeting with Aziz. He would send his two party colleagues — Gulam Nabi Edhi and Showkat Bakshi — to attend the Reception.
Observers say that even as meeting with Pakistani officials and dignitaries at High Commission was a routine affair for separatist leaders, the issue has attained significance after the Narendra Modi Government cancelled Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan in August last year after its envoy Abdul Basit invited separatist leaders for consultations ahead of the meeting in Islamabad.
Former Chief Minister and Opposition leader Omar Abdullah came down heavily on PDP-BJP coalition Government on imposing curbs on Hurriyat leaders. He claimed during his regime the Hurriyat leaders were never detained ahead of their visits to Pakistan High Commission in Delhi.
“Shelling, Infiltration, terror attacks & now Hurriyat arrests, clearly no side wants to talk & yet neither side has the guts to call it off,” the former Chief Minister said in a series of tweets. He said the talks between India and Pakistan were being held under “international pressure”.
“I’ve never seen an Indo-Pak dialogue where both sides are so keen to sabotage it. India & Pak competing to give reasons to call off talks. It’s so obvious that Ufa & now these planned NSA talks are under international pressure with both Ind & Pak hoping the other will pull out,” he tweeted.
later, in the evening when reports came that Pakistan is firmed on meeting Hurriyat leaders Omar tweeted, “At least one country seems firm on something” and immediately clarified, “But isn’t it the same Pakistan that forgot how to spell Kashmir at Ufa”.