Separatist Shabir Shah was detained at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on Saturday afternoon, according to TV reports.

The Hurriyat leader was reportedly escorted to a car and put under house arrest at his Delhi residence. He is likely to be sent back to Srinagar on the next available flight.

Shah was scheduled to meet Pakistan National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz on Sunday, 23 August, as Pakistan had on Wednesday sent invites to Hurriyat representatives for a "reception party" at its high commission in New Delhi with Aziz.

However, India said it will cancel the NSA-level talks between the two countries, if Aziz meets the separatists.

"India has advised Pakistan yesterday that it would not be appropriate for Mr Sartaz Aziz to meet with Hurriyat representatives in India," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted on Friday.

However, Pakistan government sources said it will not take any orders from India and the talks between Aziz and Indian NSA Ajit Doval will not be based on conditional diplomacy.

The NSAs of the two sides are scheduled to meet in New Delhi on Monday, 24 August, and are likely to discuss terrorism-related issues and continuous ceasefire violations at the LoC.

However, following the uncertainty over the talk, Pakistan have announced a press conference at 1:30pm on Saturday to clear the airs. India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will also talk to media at 4:30pm today.

In 2014, India cancelled talks between the foreign secretaries of the two nations after Pakistani envoy Abdul Basit met Hurriyat leaders.

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