Hurriyat leaders meet Pakistan's High Commissioner

NEW DELHI: A Hurriyat Conference delegation on Monday met Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit in Delhi to discuss the recent visit of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Islamabad where she met Pakistan's top leadership and launched Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue process.

"A Hurriyat delegation sent by chairman Syed Ali Geelani today held a detailed meeting for one-and-a-half hours with Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit in New Delhi. They held a detailed discussion over the recent meeting of Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and Pakistan rulers on the occasion of Asia Heart Conference in Islamabad and also discussed the Kashmir policy there," Hurriyat spokesman Ayaz Akbar said in a statement in Srinagar.

The two-member Hurriyat delegation comprised Geelani's personal secretary Peer Saifullah and chief organiser of the amalgam Altaf Ahmad Shah, Akbar said adding Deputy High Commissioner and the other officials in the Pakistani mission were also present.

"The Hurriyat delegation handed them a message of Geelani that Pakistan should continue to maintain consistency and firmness over its Kashmir policy and play an active role in highlighting the human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir at international forums," Akbar said.

The delegation also apprised the Pakistan High Commissioner about the present situation in Kashmir, Akbar said.

It now remains to be seen how the Modi government reacts to this meeting as in the past it opposed Pakistani establishments contact with Hurriyat on bilateral dialogue process.