BJP tells Shabbir Shah to ‘hold his tongue’ on Bhagat Singh

The Pakistan High Commission’s invitation to Geelani and other separatist leaders to meet Aziz has upset New Delhi but Pakistan has stuck to the line that such meetings were “routine”.

The Indian external affairs ministry immediately termed the decision “unfortunate” and tried to wash its hands of the controversy that led to the cancellation of the meeting by saying that it “did not set any preconditions”.

62-year-old Shabir Shah’s was also detained on Saturday upon his arrival at the Delhi airport, to prevent him from meeting Pakistan’s National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz ahead of the proposed NSA-level talks, which later fell through.

Lone is the fourth separatist from Kashmir who was detained at the Delhi airport. While leaving Srinagar, Mr Shah had said the he would like to meet Mr Aziz.

” Commenting on “unpleasant” attitude on part of Indian government with regard to NSA level talks and its crackdown on resistance leadership of J&K, Shah said the mutual rivalry and creating war like situation is not a solution to any issue “which can only be resolved through a meaningful dialogue”.

He also said that the militants had given boost to the movement of Kashmir and that the channel of talks with Pakistan should remain open.

“If talks have to happen, they will only happen only between NSAs and only on terror”, the minister added.

“A recurring theme throughout all of our interactions with Kashmiris is how Indian and Pakistani money made all Kashmiri political actors dependent on handouts”, the cable signed by the then US Ambassador to India David Mulford said.

The latest round of recriminations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours leaves the talks, set at a meeting between prime ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif in Russian Federation last month, on a knife edge. India accuses Pakistan of arming and training the rebels.