New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) In a move that has upset India, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani Tuesday met Kashmiri separatist leaders, with Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani asking Islamabad to press New Delhi for resolution of the Kashmir issue.
Geelani was among the self-appointed Kashmiri leaders who were invited by the Pakistan high commission for a meeting with Jilani, who arrived here in the afternoon for talks with his Indian counterpart Ranjan Mathai.
“Pakistan should press India hard to resolve the Kashmir issue,” Geelani told reporters after the meeting.
He said it was the responsibility of Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue and stressed that the talks between India and Pakistan cannot succeed unless this core issue is resolved.
He also accused India of depriving the residents of Jammu and Kashmir of civil liberties and accused it of state terrorism.
Jilani’s meeting with Kashmiri separatists is seen as another attempt by Pakistan to put the focus on the Kashmir issue amid fresh disclosures by Mumbai attack suspect Abu Jindal, which New Delhi says has pointed to the involvement of Pakistan state actors in the 26/11 carnage.
The meeting has not gone down well with New Delhi.
Sources in India’s foreign ministry said such meetings are not conducive to creating a positive atmosphere or reducing trust deficit, a key objective of the dialogue process which India and Pakistan revived only in February last year after a long hiatus following the Mumbai terror.
Mathai and Jilani will begin two-day official talks Wednesday that will focus on issues like peace and security including confidence-building measures, Jammu and Kashmir, and the promotion of friendly exchanges.
