3 Kashmir separatists under house arrest ahead of NSA talks

Srinagar, Aug 20: Taking a strong stand, India has placed under house arrest three separatists from Kashmir who were scheduled to meet Pakistan's National Security Advisor, Sartaj Aziz during the weekend.

Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Yasin Malik and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq have been placed under house arrest and there is heavy security that has been deployed outside their residences.

These separatists were scheduled to meet with Aziz during his visit to India ahead of the NSA level talks.

The house arrest is likely to be in force until the completion of the NSA level talks. India has decided that it would allow the separatists to become part of the Indo-Pak talks on Kashmir.

India has already made it clear and would also tell Pakistan that the view of the separatists would not matter when it comes to resolving the Kashmir issue. It is a bi-lateral and the talks should be between the two nations. The separatists have no role to play.

The Indian Intelligence Bureau has cited a law and order problem in Kashmir ahead of the NSA level talks. It was mandatory that these trouble makers were placed under house arrest as we do not want the important talks to be derailed by them, the IB official also informed OneIndia.

OneIndia News