Kashmiri separatists slam India for calling off talks with Pakistan

Kashmiri separatist leaders Monday criticized New Delhi for calling off foreign-secretary level talks with Islamabad and described the decision as "unfortunate".India Monday called off foreign- secretary level talks with Pakistan scheduled to be held in Islamabad on August 25.

New Delhi cited reservation over Pakistan' s High Commissioner in New Delhi Abdul Basit's meeting with Kashmiri separatists ahead of the talks saying it undermined the constructive diplomatic engagement initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Basit Monday met separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah in the first of a series of meetings planned over next two days." I am very upset that Indian government has made an irrelevant excuse to call off the scheduled meeting between foreign- secretaries of the two countries," Shah said. "Meeting with Pakistan High Commissioner is not a new phenomenon as in past we have held such meetings ahead of bilateral talks between the two countries."The Pakistan High Commissioner was conveyed the cancellation of talks by Indian authorities, while he was in the middle of meeting with Shah. "We have met Pakistani officials in New Delhi during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's time.

Even during Manmohan Singh's time we used to hold meetings whenever any delegation came from Pakistan," Shah said.The separatist leaders said New Delhi's decision has exposed the communal ideology of Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) led government in New Delhi.The chairman of pro-independent group Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front ( JKLF), Yasin Malik said the decision of Indian establishment was no surprise."We all know the ideology of BJP and they want to implement their Hindutva agenda," Malik said. "I never had any hopes on BJP for any serious kind of process on Kashmir issue and now BJP has made it clear that dialogue process has no means in the Indian autocracy."The separatists say Kashmiris remain the principal party to the Kashmir dispute and they have right to contribute to the dialogue process between India and Pakistan over Kashmir.The chairman of moderate faction of Hurriyat (freedom) Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said it was unfortunate that India has called off the meeting to evade peace process with Pakistan." I don't understand on what basis such regrettable decision has been taken," Farooq said. "The decision of New Delhi has exposed its disinterest in resolving the Kashmir issue through peaceful dialogue."Farooq said Indian establishment was following rhetoric.

"On one hand Indian government is advocating better relationship with Pakistan aimed at resolving Kashmir issue through peaceful means but on the other hand they are undoing whatever as been achieved," Farooq said.According to Farooq holding talks with envoys from Pakistan and other Pakistani leaders ahead of New Delhi-Islamabad talks has been a routine.The moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference had held couple of rounds of talks with New Delhi but failed to achieve a breakthrough.The head of hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Geelani said BJP led government's decision to scrap secretary-level talks has vindicate their stand that India does not want a peaceful resolution of Kashmir."The decision of BJP would prove a major setback for the peace process between India and Pakistan," Geelani said. "BJP has made it clear that it works on the ideology of Hindutva where peaceful dialogue has no means."Malik, Farooq and Geelani are scheduled to meet Pakistan High Commissioner on Tuesday. The separatist leaders said they would go ahead with their meetings with Basit.

A separatist movement challenging New Delhi's rule is going on in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989. Militant groups are also engaged in a guerrilla war with Indian troops across the restive region.New Delhi accuses Islamabad of sending armed militants to Indian- controlled Kashmir. However, Islamabad says it only provides moral and political support to Kashmiris.New Delhi believes only path available to Pakistan was to resolve outstanding issues through a peaceful bilateral dialogue within the framework and principles of the Shimla agreement and the Lahore declaration.Pakistan High Commissioner's invitations to separatist leaders for meetings have evoked sharp reaction from opposition Congress party, who criticized the ruling BJP of not having clear stand on Pakistan.

Analysts view New Delhi's decision to call off talks as the fall out of that criticism.Pakistan High Commissioner in New Delhi in the past has been holding meetings with Kashmiri separatists.Last week Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused Pakistan of engaging in "proxy war" against India, an allegation strongly rejected by Islamabad.The troops of Indian and Pakistan over the past several days have been violating cease-fire along line-of- control (LoC) and international border (IB) in Kashmir and targeting each other's posts with small arms and mortars.Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan is claimed by both in full. Since their Independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir. Enditem