SRINAGAR : Ahead of India and Pakistan National Security Advisor (NSA) level talks on Sunday, majority of separatist leaders have been put under house arrest in the Kashmir valley.
Restrictions have been imposed on separatists to prevent them from going to New Delhi on the invitation of Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit to meet Pakistan National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz before the NSA level dialogue.
Almost all separatist leaders, including chairmen of both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference (HC), Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) and Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) have been invited by Mr Basit for holding talks with Mr Aziz. Pakistan’s move has evoked massive reaction from all political parties, particularly Opposition, which questioned the BJP on resumption of talks with the neighbouring country reminding the party of its earlier stand that talks and terrorism cannot go together.
Hardline Hurriyat Conference spokesperson Aiyaz Akbar said a number of leaders have been put under house arrest while few have been arrested.
He said amalgam chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani remained under house arrest since he returned from New Delhi on April 15. However, he gave slip to security forces on May 1 and addressed a rally at Tral, where two youths were allegedly killed by security forces in a fake encounter. Later, he was allowed to visit Regional Passport Office (RPO) in connection with his passport.
Mr Akbar said he himself, Mohammad Ashraf Sehrayee and Raja Mehrajuddin were put under house arrest since early this morning while Mohammad Yousuf Naqash and few others have been arrested.
”We do not have any programme for any rally, but still we were put under house arrest, Mr Akbar said, adding that ”it was to prevent us from going to New Delhi to meet Mr Aziz before the NSA level talks.”
He said Mr Geelani had received invitation from the Pakistan High Commissioner for a meeting with Mr Aziz.
Police said JKLF leader Yasin Malik was detained at
Kothibagh police station. A raid was also carried out at the house of Asiya Andrabi.
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.
“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.
“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. (AGENCIES)
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