Kashmiri separatists ignored by Pakistan Foreign minister

13 December, 2007

It was for the first time that the Kashmiri separatists were not invited by a Pakistani dignitary during his visit to Delhi. In the past President Pervez Musharraf, foreign minister and foreign secretary of Pakistan had also invited them for a meeting.

KASHMIR SEPARATISTS feel intrigued over the way their were not invited by the Pakistan Foreign minister, Inamul Haq during his recent visit to Delhi where he had detailed talks with the External Affairs minister, Pranab Mukherjee.

It was for the first time that the Kashmiri separatists were not invited by a Pakistani dignitary during his visit to Delhi. In the past even President, Pervez Musharraf, Foreign minister and Foreign secretary of Pakistan would invite these separatists for a meeting in Pakistan embassy in the Delhi.

Political observers in Srinagar are of the view that no invitation was sent to Kashmiri separatists because Inamul Haq may have thought that he was a senior functionary of only a caretaker government. They said that another possibility was that the Pakistani dignitary might have come to the conclusion that invitation to Kashmiri separatist leaders for talks could send a wrong signal to India.

Delhi usually would not cherish the way Kashmiri separatists were being invited for a meeting by senior functionaries of the establishment in Islamabad whenever they visited India. Hence Inamul Haq may have thought it prudent to avoid kicking up a controversy.

Whatever may be the reason, separatists in Kashmir feel intrigued? They have fears that Islamabad may start laying emphasis on the continuation of dialogue with Delhi without involving the APHC (All Parties Hurriyat Conference) leaders and other separatist groups in talks even on the sidelines of India-Pakistan dialogue.