Mirwaiz Umar Farooq conveys concern to Pakistan envoy over non-inclusion of Kashmir in Narendra Modi-Nawaz Sharif talks

NEW DELHI: Moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq tonight conveyed to Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit "concerns" over non-inclusion of Kashmir in the recent talks between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif in Russia.

Mirwaiz expressed his views to Basit during a meeting with him at the High Commission here just after attending an Eid Milan hosted by the envoy this evening.

The Hurriyat Chairman, who flew in from Srinagar specially to attend the Eid Milan, underlined that "by ignoring Kashmir, the talks between India and Pakistan will lead nowhere".

He told PTI that Kashmir issue has to be addressed if the two countries want to build trust.

Modi and Sharif met in Ufa in Russia on July 10 on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) after which a joint statement was issued in which Kashmir found no mention.

Leader of hardline Hurriyat faction Syed Ali Shah Geelani boycotted the Eid Milan, saying he was protesting against non-inclusion of Kashmir in the talks between the two Prime Ministers.

Mirwaiz, however, said he decided to attend the event to convey his "concerns" over the non-inclusion of Kashmir in the Summit meeting.