Pak envoy invites Mirwaiz Umar Farooq

Pakistan has sought a ground report from the moderate Hurriyat Conference ahead of the crucial Indo-Pak talks to prepare its case for negotiations.

The Pakistan high commission in New Delhi has invited Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, chairman of the moderate Hurriyat Conference, to visit the capital for consultations.

“Since the process of Indo-Pak re-engagement is starting, the Pakistan high commissioner wants an insight into the goings-on in Kashmir. They want consultations with us before the talks,” Mirwaiz said.

However, the Hurriyat chairman said they would not be able to visit Delhi before the talks, given the situation in Kashmir. They were instead planning a Delhi trip at month-end, he said.

“Due to the Pakistan high commissioner’s visit to his country and the prevailing situation in Kashmir we could not go [to Delhi] this time. But we will go at the end of this month and meet the high commissioner,” Mirwaiz said.

The moderate Hurriyat has been instrumental in starting triangular talks wherein it would separately meet Islamabad and New Delhi for resolving Kashmir. It has already held two rounds of talks with former deputy prime minister LK Advani and, after the UPA government was formed, met Manmohan Singh. The prime minister also met JKLF leader Yasin Malik and separatist-turned-mainstream leader Sajjad Lone. But the process was stalled due to the Amarnath land agitation.