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Pak high commissioner visit Geelani in Delhi, pledges support
Pakistan High Commission to India Shahid Malik on Sunday evening visited hardline separatist leader Sayeed Ali Shah Geelani at his New Delhi residence and expressed desire that the senior separatist leader should visit Pakistan.
In a major shift, which many sees as hardening of Pakistan stand on the Kashmir issue, Pakistan High Commission to India Shahid Malik on Sunday evening visited hardline separatist leader Sayeed Ali Shah Geelani at his New Delhi residence and expressed desire that the senior separatist leader should visit Pakistan.
"The Pakistan High Commissioner came around 5:30 pm on Sunday and enquired about my health. He wants me to visit Pakistan to meet what Shahid sahib said 'well wishers in Pakistan as you are liked my many there'," Geelani told the Hindustan Times on phone from New Delhi.
His son Taimur Ahmad, deputy high commissioner Masood and first secretary Zulfikar Ahmad accompanied the Pakistan high commissioner. This is for the fist time since former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf started sidelining the hardline separatist that a high-level delegation of Pakistan visited Geelani's residence at Malviya Nagar in Delhi.
Former Pakistan president was at loggerheads with Geelani after the 80-year-old separatist rejected his 4-point formula saying, "it was a sell out on the Kashmir issue" during a meeting.
The verbal spat was followed by closure of Geelani's offices in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Since then Pakistan was banking on the moderate All Parties Hurriyat Conference led by Miwaiz Umar Farooq, who supported the 4-point formula saying "it can become basis for a resolution to the Kashmir dispute."
Geelani told the HT that Malik supported his stand on the Kashmir issue that right to self-determination is the premise of the Kashmir issue. "Shahid sahib also rejected triangular talks on the Kashmir as proposed by separatists here. He supported my position and reiterated his moral, diplomatic and political support to the Kashmir cause."
Sources said Geelani apprised Shahid about ground situation in Kashmir. The Pakistani delegation and Geelani also discussed the Shopian issue and withdrawal of troops campaign, said sources.
Geelani said he told the Pakistan high commissioner not to show weakening of its stand on the Kashmir issue by extending begging bowl of talks before India. "I informed the Pakistan delegation that Kashmiris are not tired. They are bearing bullets, teargases on their chests during peaceful protests. And people are not ready to compromise on the Kashmir issue," said Geelani.
The meeting has come at a time when Pakistan has reportedly denied visa to mainstream political party leader Mehbooba Mufti, who heads Peoples Democratic Party. Musharraf regime was the first Pakistani leader in the last 22 years who opened up to mainstream political leaders in the Valley like National Conference chairman Omar Abdullah and Mufti.
Sources said Pakistan's ISI has opposed now any move to open up to the mainstream political parties in Jammu and Kashmir and the visa to Mehbooba was not processed by the intelligence agency.
