Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party MP Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday forced release of Hurriyat leaders including Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Yasin Malik and Shabir Shah who were put under house arrest ahead of their proposed meeting with Pakistan's National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz in Delhi, said sources.
According to sources, Mehbooba Mufti was upset over the timing of arrests.
While hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani was already under house arrest, similar restrictions were placed for moderate faction chief Mirwaiz Umer Farooq at his Nigeen residence and for Abbas Ansari, who lives in Nawakadal.
According to government sources, the brief arrest is a message to Pakistan and the separatists to refrain from talks. Sources said that the house arrest can be reimposed at a better time if needed.
Pakistan High Commission in Delhi had invited Geelani for a meeting on August 24 with Aziz, who will be in the national capital for talks with Indian NSA Ajit Doval. Moderate separatist leaders have also been invited for a reception being hosted by the High Commission in New Delhi for the visiting Pakistani official on August 23.
India had cancelled Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan in August 2014 after its envoy invited separatist leaders for consultations ahead of the meeting in Islamabad.
Criticising Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said state governments had never detained Hurriyat leaders in the past to prevent them from visiting the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi.
He claimed the Indo-Pakistan talks were being held "under international pressure" with both countries hoping the other will pull out.
"Shelling, infiltration, terror attacks and now Hurriyat arrests, clearly no side wants to talk and yet neither side has the guts to call it off," the former chief minister said in a series of tweets.
"Shame on Mufti Syed for arresting on demand. He had no business following his masters orders and detaining the Hurriyat leaders like this. J&K state governments in the past have NEVER detained the APHC leaders so as to prevent them from visiting the Pak High Commission. If the Centre was so keen to prevent the Hurriyat leaders from meeting Sartaj Aziz they should've been told to detain them themselves," Omar said on Twitter.
"I've never seen an Indo-Pak dialogue where both sides are so keen to sabotage it. India & Pakistan competing to give reasons to call off talks. It's so obvious that Ufa and now these planned NSA talks are under international pressure with both India and Pakistan hoping the other will pull out, (sic)" he tweeted.
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