Hurriyat leaders sad with govt's response to meeting with Khar

Srinagar, Jul 29: Both factions of Hurriyat Conference today (Jul 29) said they were "sad and surprised" by the government's reaction to their meeting with Pakistan Foreign Minister in Delhi.

"It is sad and surprising that the government and specifically Foreign Ministry has objected to Hurriyat's meeting with Pakistan's Foreign Minister," Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said addressing a Friday congregation at Jamia Masjid here.

Stating that the meeting was part of efforts to resolve the Kashmir issue, he said, "This is an issue of Kashmiri people, and not of India and Pakistan."

The Mirwaiz as well as Hardline Hurriyat faction headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani also criticized the statement made by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah about the separatists meeting Khar.

A spokesman of the Geelani faction said the mainstream politicians, who consider the accession of Jammu and Kashmir as final with India, are represented by New Delhi in the talks.

Omar had said that the separatists were not the only leaders in Jammu and Kashmir as the mainstream political parties have proved their representative character from time to time.

PTI