Pakistan will continue meeting Kashmiri leadership despite India's objections: FO

Acting FO spokesperson says India is well aware of this practice and should not be raising any objection

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will continue its longstanding practice of meeting with Kashmiri leadership despite objections raised by the Indian government, the Foreign Office said on Wednesday.

“As you well know, meetings between the Hurriyat leadership and the High Commissioner of Pakistan in New Delhi are a longstanding practice and will continue,” Riffat Masood, the acting spokesperson of the Foreign Office, told The Express Tribune.

Masood’s statement were in response to recent criticism in the Indian media about Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit’s meeting with veteran Hurriyat Leader Syed Ali Geelani in New Delhi.

Read: Pakistan high commissioner meets Hurriyat leader in Delhi

Basit visited the residence of Geelani to brief him about the outcome of recent talks between the two foreign secretaries.

Read: Ensuring peace and tranquility along border is vital: Indian foreign secretary

Last year in August, India single-handedly cancelled foreign secretary level talks at the last moment in protest to the Pakistani high commissioner’s meeting with the Kashmiri leaders.

However, the spokesperson rejected the Indian concerns, saying that Pakistan "recognises the Hurriyat as the true representatives of the Kashmiri people and hence regular meetings take place with them."

“India is well aware of this practice and should not be raising any objection in this regard,” Riffat emphasised.

Although New Delhi has not yet officially reacted to Basit’s meeting with Geelani, Indian analysts warned that the latest Pakistani move could hamper the resumption of peace talks between the two countries.

The Indian media, quoting analysts, said Monday's meeting is a provocation and urged the Indian government to take a firmer stand against future interactions.

The Indian opposition has also weighed in on the meeting and asked the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party if the latest incident would scupper the process of renewed dialogue with Pakistan.

FO rejects India allegation of ‘intrusive surveillance’

Further, the spokesperson rejected allegations leveled by the Indian external affairs minister that the Indian High Commission staff in Pakistan were subjected to ‘intrusive surveillance.’

“Members of the High Commission of India have been subjected to intrusive surveillance, including tailing by the intelligence and security personnel of the Pakistan government,” Sushma Swaraj said during a question hour in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

“There has been no such incident or complaint by the Indian High Commission to us in this regard,” Riffat said when approached to seek Pakistan’s reaction to the Indian claim.