Pakistan cancels security talks while India detains Kashmir leaders

While the decision on the Indo-Pakistan NSA level talks was pending, separatist leaders Shabir Ahmad Shah along with two others and Bilal Lone reached the Capital to hold talks with Pakistan’s National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz but were detained at the Delhi airport on Saturday.

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”.

Shah is among the Hurriyat hardliners who have been invited for talks by Pakistan before Sunday’s scheduled dialogue between India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart Sartaz Aziz.

The spokesman, Ayaz Akbar, said the meeting was scheduled for August 24, the day after the two-day NSA talks are to begin in New Delhi. India accuses Pakistan of arming and training the rebels.

Talking to KMS over phone just before his arrest, Shabbir Ahmed Shah said that the increasing popularity of the Kashmir liberation movement and Pakistan’s support to the Kashmir cause had frustrated the Indian government.

The Foreign Ministry said that it has carefully analyzed the contents of the press conference of the Indian foreign minister Sushma Sawaraj and has come to the conclusion that the proposed NSA level talks between the two countries “would not serve any goal , if conducted on the basis of the two conditions laid down by the minister”. “India can also put forward its argument but Kashmir must be included”, he insisted.

The leaders were detained at the New Delhi airport and placed under house arrest at rented accommodations in the capital city.

India opposes Pakistani leaders meeting Kashmiri separatist leaders in New Delhi.

Police in Indian Kashmir confirmed Shah’s detention in New Delhi. We are going to ask the people of India whether former prime minister AB Vajpayee, their leader LK Advani or Manmohan Singh were wrong as they never blocked us from meeting Pakistani officials during their visit to India.

Farooq said the separatist leaders had always supported talks between India and Pakistan.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan is claimed by both in full.