* Diplomatic blunder, says Rajnath
NEW DELHI, Nov 10: Sparking off a controversy, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s advisor Sartaj Aziz tonight met leaders of various Kashmiri separatist groups of Hurriyat Conference which was seen by the Government as “extremely unfortunate” misuse of a multilateral forum for partisan ends.
Aziz, who arrived here earlier in the day for a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Asia and Europe, met the separatist groups separately at the Pakistan High Commission here.
Besides holding talks with the moderate faction led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Aziz also had meetings with JKLF chief Yaseen Malik and hardline Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Dukhtaran-e-Millat founder Aasiya Andrabi.
Government sources described Aziz’s meetings with the separatists as “extremely unfortunate misuse of a multilateral forum for partisan ends”.
The meetings also drew sharp reaction from BJP which said Government has committed a “diplomatic blunder” by allowing this.
Emerging from his hour-long meeting with Aziz, Mirwaiz said that the talks were aimed at finding a lasting political solution to the Kashmir issue, a key element for normalising ties between India and Pakistan.
“We want to see that the relations between the two countries are good and this would be possible only after the Kashmir issue is settled in accordance with the wishes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” the Mirwaiz said.
To a question that the BJP had opposed their meeting with Aziz terming it as anti-national, the Hurriyat Chairman replied, “I wonder how is this anti-national. The meeting is aimed at finding a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue which is in the interest of India, Pakistan as well as people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
BJP President Rajnath Singh said, “By allowing Sartaj Aziz to hold talks with Kashmiri separatists the UPA Government has committed another diplomatic blunder with serious costs to national security and national interest.
The Mirwaiz said that Hurriyat had been meeting with Pakistani leaders during the NDA regime under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his deputy L K Advani.
“Sad to see them (BJP) terming this meeting as anti-India. In fact such talks must be encouraged,” he said, adding, “we seek cooperation not confrontation” from BJP and other political parties.
Yasin Malik said any initiative with regard to peace and end to human suffering must be encouraged.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said, “The Hurriyat should also introspect on this matter that if they are really representatives of the people then they must participate in the democratic process.”
The Mirwaiz replied that Hurriyat had been meeting with Pakistani leaders during the NDA regime under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his deputy L K Advani.
About the recent escalation of tension along the Line of Control (LoC), the Mirwaiz said, “military solution is no solution. We have been advocating peaceful means. Killings of soldiers on either side does not help.”
He said the recent border tension was discussed during their meeting.
The Hurriyat leader expressed happiness that Aziz was meeting Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid tomorrow.
In a related development, Andrabi, whose kin have been arrested in Pakistan for allegedly being involved in terror activities, also met Aziz with two other women cadre of her organisation.
This is for the first time that Andrabi has come to the Pakistan mission and the meeting was possibly aimed at seeking help for release of her nephew, Syed Shoib who was arrested in September this year.
According to Pakistani newspaper reports, the charges levelled against Syed and other relatives of Andrabi include their association with Al-Qaeda terror group and plans to carry out terror acts using explosive-laden toy planes.
Yaseen Malik said any initiative with regard to peace and end to human suffering must be encouraged.
India today refrained from making a direct comment on the meeting between Sartaj Aziz, saying it was a separate dialogue between those invited for the ASEM Foreign Ministers’ meet.
“We have called all the Foreign Ministers for the Asia-Europe dialogue here… Whatever their programme, it is their own…,” External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said here as the Hurriyat leaders met Mr Aziz at the Pakistan High Commission.
Meanwhile, the meeting between Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s advisor Sartaj Aziz and Kashmiri separatists drew mixed reactions today, with BJP saying Government is committing a diplomatic blunder while the UPA dispensation said it is not making any compromises.
BJP president Rajnath Singh said the Government has committed a “diplomatic blunder” by allowing Aziz to meet Kashmiri separatists on Indian soil and demanded the talks be stopped.
“By allowing Sartaj Aziz to hold talks with Kashmiri separatists the UPA Government has committed another diplomatic blunder with serious costs to national security and national interest,” Singh said in a statement.
Noting that Kashmir issue is India’s internal matter and it should be resolved through a home grown solution, the BJP leader said Pakistan has been trying hard to internationalise the Kashmir issue for many years. He pointed out that Kashmir issue was recently raised once again at the UN General Assembly meeting this year by Pakistan. (Agencies)
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