Ahead of NSA talks: Hurriyat leaders held, signal to Pakistan to cancel its consultations with separatists

NEW DELHI: Hurriyat Conference leaders were put under house arrest in Srinagar on Thursday for two hours in what appears to be a signal to Pakistan to cancel its consultations with the separatists on Sunday ahead of the NSAlevel talks.

The detention and release of Hurriyat leaders is “a signal that the separatists cannot be a third party to talks,” top government sources said. Hurriyat leaders could again be put under house arrest if the Pakistan high commission goes ahead with the consultations with the rebel leaders on the eve of NSA-level talks.

The Modi government had indicated of appropriate steps once the Pakistani high commission invited Hurriyat leaders for reception-cum-consultations with Pakistan’s NSA Sartaj Aziz. “If Pakistan cancels the NSA-level dialogue on the pretext that consultations were not allowed with Hurriyat, the onus will be on Islamabad,” an official said.

The government, however, maintained that NSA-level talks as decided at the Ufa meeting between the two PMs were on course for next Monday and terror will be the focus of the dialogue. “This meeting is for talks on terror and the need to prevent it,” telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters after a Cabinet meeting on Thursday.