Hurriyat leaders to meet Pak Foreign Secretary

Srinagar, Nov 7: A five-member strong Hurriyat Conference delegation, led by Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, will meet Pakistan Foreign Secretary Riaz Ahmed Khan during his forthcoming visit to New Delhi for talks with his Indian counterpart Shiv Shankar Menon to discuss Jammu and Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek among other issues.

The decision was taken at an extra-ordinary meeting of the Hurriyat Conference called at the amalgam headquarters at Raj Bagh here this morning.

A Hurriyat spokesman said Mr Khan has expressed a desire to meet the Kashmir separatist leaders during his India visit.

''We had also been invited for a meeting with Pakistan's Foreign Secretary. We have accepted the invitation and would be going to New Delhi to meet Mr Khan,'' he added.

The spokesman said a five-member Hurriyat delegation was nominated for a meeting with Mr Khan.

The Mirwaiz would lead the delegation while the other members of the team were Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat, Maulana Abbas Ansari, Bilal Ghani Lone and Aga Syed Hassan.

Indications are that chairman of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani would also meet the visiting Pakistani dignitary.

It would be after a long time that the firebrand leader meets any Pakistani leader.

UNI