Hurryiat leader Shabir Shah arrested in New Delhi

NEW DELHI: Hurriyat leader Shabir Shah was arrested in New Delhi on Saturday upon his arrival ahead of a possible meeting with Pakistani advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz during that latter's impending visit.

On Friday Pakistan’s foreign office issued a statement in response to the Indian ‘advice’ that Sartaj Aziz not meet Hurriyat leaders during his visit to India, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary conveyed to the Indian High Commissioner that this was not acceptable for Pakistan.

The statement of the Foreign Ministry said Kashmir is a disputed territory as per the UN Security Council resolutions which remain unimplemented. Pakistani leadership has always interacted with the Kashmir/Hurriyat leadership, during their visits to India. Pakistan sees no reason to depart from this established past practice. The Hurriyat leaders are true representatives of the Kashmiri people of the Indian occupied Kashmir. Pakistan regards them as genuine stakeholders in the efforts to find a lasting solution of the Kashmir Dispute.
Pakistan has proposed and conveyed to India a comprehensive agenda reflecting the broad understanding reached between the leaders in Ufa, that all outstanding issues, including Kashmir and other disputes, as well as, terrorism issues and other CBMs will be discussed between the two countries.
India's insistence to introduce conditionalities and restrict the agenda for the dialogue, demonstrates a lack of seriousness on India's part to meaningfully engage with Pakistan.