Initiating a Congress-led track-2 dialogue, delegation meets Kashmiri separatists

In a rather surprising track-2 dialogue attempt, a delegation of Congress led by Mani Shankar Aiyar met Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and plans to meet other separatists in Kashmir valley.

A delegation of five people led by senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar met Hurriyat chief Mirwaiz Umar Farooq at his residence in Srinagar on Thursday morning to discuss the present situation in Jammu and Kashmir. He also met Shabir Shah, another separatist leader in the Valley, and Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

Diplomat-turned-politician Aiyar is part of a civil society group from the national capital and visited the Valley to attend a conference organised by NGO Centre for Peace and Progress. The theme of the conference was Discussion on Jammu and Kashmir, The Road Ahead. The members of the civil society have insisted that the Centre hold talks with Hurriyat and Pakistan and figure out a long-term solution to restore peace in the Valley.

OP Shah, Air Vice Marshal (retd) Kapil Kak and journalist Vinod Sharma were also part of the five-member delegation led by Aiyar. The senior Congress leader was also willing to meet pro-independence JKLF chief Yasin Malik. However, Malik refused to meet the delegation.

Aiyar was severely criticised by members of the BJP following his meeting with the separatist leaders. BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao told Republic TV that the Congress must condemn this act of its leaders if they are in Kashmir Valley in their individual capacity.