Upping the ante ahead of NSA-level talks with Pakistan, the government on Thursday placed Kashmiri separatist leaders under house arrest. They were scheduled to attend a reception here on Sunday hosted by the Pakistan High Commission for its National Security Advisor, Sartaj Aziz.
The leaders of both hardline and moderate Hurriyat Conference factions were prompt to accept Islamabad’s invitation. A similar invitation was extended by Pakistan in August 2014 when the Foreign Secretary-level talks between the two countries were around the corner. The government countered by calling off the talks.
The Jammu and Kashmir police cordoned off the residences of moderate separatist Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and his hardline counterpart Syed Ali Shah Geelani. The police cordon was lifted from Mirwaiz's residence after a few hours. Geelani still continues to be under house arrest.
Yasin Malik, the pro-Independence separatist leader who criticises the radical demand for Kashmir’s merger with Pakistan, was also detained for a few hours. Mr. Malik told The Hindu that he was out of the detention and had called a meeting to decide whether or not to attend Mr. Aziz's reception in New Delhi.
For the Ministry of External Affairs, Pakistan’s attempts to engage with Kashmiri separatists ahead of Indo-Pak engagements means it is trying to turn them into tri-lateral negotiation, something the government of India has always resisted.
“This is a red line we have drawn,” the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson had said while calling off the Indo-Pak talks in August 2014.
'State government responsible'
Suhasini Haidar reports from New Delhi
Stung by criticism over the two hour-house arrest of the Hurriyat leadership sending a "confusing message" the Union government said it was the State government that was responsible. Responding to a question at a press conference Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, while he would not comment on "policing" issues, "Jammu and Kashmir government is free to take its action. Foreign policy initiatives are not determined by media debate."
Meanwhile Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, who was put under house arrest this morning, told reporters they had been given no reason for the action. "There seems to be some confusion. If they are trying to stop us thats a very negative way of thinking by the government as we would be coming to Delhi to support the India-Pakistan talks process. "
