Kashmiri separatist leaders no longer under house arrest, likely to meet Sartaj Aziz
Srinagar: Senior Kashmiri separatist leaders including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Abbas Ansari who were put under house arrest on Thursday, ahead of their proposed meeting with Pakistan's National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz, were freed abruptly.
However, hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani is still under house arrest. Security has been stepped up outside the Hyderpora residence of Geelani, a police official said, adding raids are on to detain second rung leaders of the separatist amalgam.
Read: India ignores Pakistan snub, NSA-level talks to go on
Pakistan High Commission in Delhi had invited Geelani for a meeting on August 24 with Aziz, who will be in the national capital for talks with Indian NSA Ajit Doval.
Moderate separatist leaders have also been invited for a reception being hosted by the High Commission in New Delhi for the visiting Pakistani official on August 23.
India had cancelled Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan in August last year after its envoy invited separatist leaders for consultations ahead of the meeting in Islamabad.
Police said JKLF leader Yasin Malik was detained at Kothibagh police station. A raid was also carried out at the house of Asiya Andrabi.
Read: India is not shy of talks
Criticising Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said state governments had never detained Hurriyat leaders in the past to prevent them from visiting the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi.
He claimed the Indo-Pakistan talks were being held "under international pressure" with both countries hoping the other will pull out.
"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.
Read: NSA talks: Deportation of Dawood Ibrahim, speedy trial of Mumbai terror attacks on agenda
"Shame on Mufti Syed for arresting on demand. He had no business following his masters orders & detaining the Hurriyat leaders like this.
"J&K State governments in the past have NEVER detained the APHC leaders so as to prevent them from visiting the Pak High Commission. If the Centre was so keen to prevent the Hurriyat leaders from meeting Sartaj Aziz they should've been told to detain them themselves," Omar said on Twitter.
J&K State governments in the past have NEVER detained the APHC leaders so as to prevent them from visiting the Pak High Commission.
— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) August 20, 2015If the centre was so keen to prevent the Hurriyat leaders from meeting Sartaj Aziz they should've been told to detain them themselves.
— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) August 20, 2015"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.
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.
— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) August 20, 2015Shelling, Infiltration, terror attacks & now Hurriyat arrests, clearly no side wants to talk & yet neither side has the guts to call it off.
— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) August 20, 2015