Hurriyat rejects Pakistan High Commission's invitation for Eid Milan because Kashmir was ignored in talks between NAWAZ & MODI: reports
NEW DELHI: Separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani in a surprise move has decided against attending an Eid Milan which is to be hosted by the Pakistan High Commission on July 21.
According to ZeeNews , Geelani rejected the invitation on the grounds that the Kashmir issue was "ignored" in the joint statement between India and Pakistan after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Indian premier Modi held their meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Ufa, Russia on July 10.
Read: Basit invites Kashmiri leaders to Eid Milan party
The Hurriyat Conference leader while speaking to a news agency said that he will register his protest by not attending the Eid Milan because the two leaders did not discuss Kashmir during their meeting in Ufa.
Rising Kashmir, a Srinagar based daily quoted a news agency as saying that Geelani made the announcement through a statement: “Hurriyat conference has decided not to attend the Eid Milan at Pak High Commission New Delhi,” a Hurriyat (G) statement said adding “this is in protest against not mentioning ‘Kashmir’ in Ufa Russia meeting between PMs of India and Pakistan.”
“Kashmiris and Kashmir dispute cannot be taken for granted,” Hurriyat statement said.
Opposition parties in Pakistan expressed reservations after the Modi-Nawaz meeting, with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) taking the lead to highlight that Kashmir was ignored.
Take a look: Back in Pakistan, opposition leaders unimpressed with Modi-Nawaz icebreaker
Shireen Mazari expressed dismay at what she said was silence on the Kashmir issue and Indian involvement in Balochistan. “Modi raised Mumbai and Sharif agreed to ‘fast track’ the investigations. Not a word on Samjhota Express was uttered by PM Sharif,” she said earlier.
Also read: India calls off foreign secretary level talks with Pakistan
Last year, India had called off foreign secretary-level bilateral talks with Pakistan following criticism of Pakistani High Commissioner Abdul Basit meeting with Hurriyat leader Shabir Shah.
Pakistan had termed India's decision to call off foreign secretary level talks a setback to efforts by the Pakistani leadership to promote "good, neighbourly relations" with India.
Pakistan had also rejected India's reservation to Pakistani envoys meeting with Kashmiri leaders, as such meetings with Kashmiri leaders are held to facilitate meaningful discussions on the issue of Kashmir.
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