Pakistani high commissioner meets Hurriyat leader Geelani

E-Paper | October 01, 2026

Pakistani high commissioner meets Hurriyat leader Geelani

Dawn.com Published March 9, 2015

comments

Join our Whatsapp Channel

Add Dawn as a trusted source

NEW DELHI: Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit met Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Monday, according to NDTV.

The 30-minute meeting at Mr. Geelani's Delhi residence comes after Indian Foreign Secretary M. Jaishankar’s recent visit to Pakistan, where he met premier Nawaz Sharif in addition to his Pakistani counterpart.

Mr. Jaishankar’s visit to Pakistan earlier this month was seen as a positive step in India’s policy towards Pakistan, after it had abandoned talks in August last year. Ironically, India had called off foreign secretary-level bilateral talks with Pakistan after a meeting between Mr. Basit and Hurriyat leader Shabir Shah.

At that time, Pakistan foreign office spokesman Tasneem Aslam had said, "Our High Commissioner in India has been informed by the Ministry of External Affairs that the Government of India — taking exception to the High Commissioner’s meetings with Kashmiri leaders — has decided to call off the foreign secretary level talks scheduled for August 25, 2014 in Islamabad."

In the meeting, Mr. Basit and Mr. Geelani discussed the recent foreign-secretary level talks between Pakistan and India in addition to the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, where separatist leader Masarat Alam was released from custody Saturday, causing uproar from several quarters.

Know more: Release of Kashmiri separatist leader creates hurdles for Modi

Kashmiri separatist Masarat Alam was released from the Baramulla jail on orders of chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, whose Peoples Democratic Party only recently formed a coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir with Indian premier Modi’s BJP as its ally.

Talking about the resumption of talks between India and Pakistan, Mr. Geelani said, "I think, the objective of the meetings should be that some resolution must be sought on Kashmir. I reminded (Mr Basit) of the fact that the main issue is Kashmir and unless we come to a firm conclusion on this, circumstances won't improve."

Pakistan

Minister says federal govt 'seriously considering' imposition of emergency in KP

3 Pakistanis among 5 crew lost during operation to recover ship hijacked by Somali pirates, FO confirms

Punjab Assembly panel approves Christian Marriage Bill that paves way for Nadra registration

Shamain loves fellow kashmiris

Mar 10, 2015 12:09am

Awesome We will get kashmir very soon.insha Allah. Dont worry kashmiris and hurriyat. Hum tumharay saath hain. Someday darknight will be over. We know kashmiris you are in pain.

Recommend 0

Awais Ali

Mar 10, 2015 12:14am

Modi called off dialogues due to it. Now he has learned that is why he Called Nawaz Sharif to resume dialogues. Keep it up Pakistan you brought Modi back on track.

Recommend 0

Sunny

Mar 10, 2015 12:14am

Great..No one should complain now that the bilateral talks are fruitless.These are d reasons of no progress in Indo Pak talks..Karte raho baat ab nothing will change on ground now.

Recommend 0

kamran

Mar 10, 2015 12:20am

India must realise that overlooking Kashmir is not the solution and to restore peace they must demilitralise J&K and dispute should be resolved as per will of the people of J&K.

Recommend 0

Awais Ali

Mar 10, 2015 12:24am

PM Modi please call off dialogues with China this time.

Recommend 0

shahzad

Mar 10, 2015 12:27am

snake charmers must be angry

Recommend 0

citizen

Mar 10, 2015 12:33am

Mr Abdul Basit shud go n meet huriyat leaders now... Just want to see wat our pm does...

Recommend 0

Euro

Mar 10, 2015 12:36am

Indians can never seperate us from our families in Kashmir. Pakistan must always meet Kashmiris brothers.

Recommend 0

Muhammad Irfan

Mar 10, 2015 12:41am

Please keep meet with the Kashmir leaders.They struggling hard for success.Insha Allah Kashmir bany ga Pakistan.

Recommend 0

maratha

Mar 10, 2015 12:45am

Pakistan had chance to chose the right path..but as we know they have made bad choices and this is one of them.

Recommend 0

Dr. Dang

Mar 10, 2015 12:49am

Kashmiri separatist Masarat Alam was released from the Baramulla jail on orders of chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed- FALSE. He was released by the court in Kashmir, since his bail for previous offenses was due & no fresh charges were leveled against him. He will be back in his cell in no time.

Recommend 0

ghanshyam

Mar 10, 2015 12:49am

@Euro : remember how once East Pak was brother of West Pak !

Recommend 0

Mar 10, 2015 12:51am

thats done it now.............back to square one............again,........ why do they even bother, it is all becoming a bit boring now.

Recommend 0

Shakeel Ahmad

Mar 10, 2015 12:59am

The way Pakistan is being run by Pakistanis, I cannot imagine what chaos it will be if the Pakistanis have a hand in the running of Kashmir? No wonder then most Kashmiris hate Pakistan's unnecessary meddling.

Recommend 0

raj

Mar 10, 2015 01:02am

@citizen nothing will be change on ground now. Pakistan is playing overplay this game rather than India . India is watching carefully each action of pakistan and ready to give surprise to pakistan . What do most Pakistani think that if both country have fight four war over Kashmir then how one party can take all part of Jammu and Kashmir .

Recommend 0

karachi Wally

Mar 10, 2015 01:04am

@shahzad I think such remarks should be avoided. It is an excellent opportunity for Pakistan to take a high moral position and keep pushing ideas of peace. We should extend full respect to India and not allow anybody to point out any fault in us.

Recommend 0

raj

Mar 10, 2015 01:05am

@shahzad let's see nothing will going anywhere. India will busy in his business and Pakistan will crying on multiple plateformo Kashmir issue . India must be block water supply which is going to pakistan.

Recommend 0

anony

Mar 10, 2015 01:05am

We as Pakistanis will support Kashmiris right for independence agqainst the illegal indian rule, till the very end. Long live Pakistan. Long live Kashmir.

Recommend 0

ninmah

Mar 10, 2015 01:09am

So Geelani wants kashmir to merge with pakistan while he will stay back in his delhi home and get treatment in AIIMS ? or does he plan to merge delhi next after kashmir ?

Recommend 0

Harmony

Mar 10, 2015 01:10am

@shahzad - comment like that livens up depressing situation between the two nations :)

Recommend 0

Akram

Mar 10, 2015 01:10am

Well this was bound to happen. Not if, but when.

Recommend 0

Harmony

Mar 10, 2015 01:15am

@Javed USA - First try some UN resolutions on this then we will let you know!

Recommend 0

Madan

Mar 10, 2015 01:22am

This is act of muddying the calm waters and nothing else.Soon the meetings of this kind will bring its results of whatever nature.

Recommend 0

mithi

Mar 10, 2015 01:25am

These Geelani and Basit characters are trying to fool somebody not sure who they are trying to fool and who is getting fooled instead.

Recommend 0

Nadeem

Mar 10, 2015 01:34am

He should meet all of Kashmiri leaders. Its better strategy.

Recommend 0

Mohammed

Mar 10, 2015 02:13am

@Shamain loves fellow kashmiris , Don't you have any other work? As a Kashmiri, I would say "Thank you", but we DO not need any support from you. Enough is enough. Better fix your mess first than digging dirt on somebody else's garden.

Recommend 0

Ridwan

Mar 10, 2015 02:21am

@raj You're right that after wars, no one in pakistan expects us to take over the - most Pakistanis want the kashmiris to decide. Remember, it is India which even makes it ILLEGAL to print maps of India that do not include kashmir in its entirety we are not the ones living in a fools paradise.

Recommend 0

Rashid Sultan

Mar 10, 2015 02:23am

@Shakeel Ahmad Speaks a true Kashmiri?

Recommend 0

Mohan Mitta

Mar 10, 2015 02:53am

Happy Now, Bahut Yaarana Lagana hai. Now can we live on PEACE now.

Recommend 0

Black Sabbath

Mar 10, 2015 02:55am

For months Pakistan has been wanting India to resume dialogue with it. India finally sent a positive signal by sending its foreign secretary & PM Modi also agreeing to visit Pakistan next year for the SAARC summit. And what does Pakistan do to reciprocate India's positive signal? Once again holds talks with Kashmiri separatists because of which the talks had broken off in the first place. Great job Pakistan, you can say goodbye to talks with India now. Continue resolving the "Kashmir issue" with Mr. Geelani & the likes.

Recommend 0

Kautiliya

Mar 10, 2015 03:15am

@Awais Ali Why?

Recommend 0

Sonny Afridi

Mar 10, 2015 03:27am

Long live Kashmir Nation. The struggle will never die. We must continue to support the Kashmiri freedom fighters

Recommend 0

Zubair

Mar 10, 2015 04:13am

It is always good to consult

Recommend 0

Raja Farhat Abbas

Mar 10, 2015 05:15am

@mithi They are definitely confusing you though. ;-)

Recommend 0

blogger

Mar 10, 2015 05:15am

Pak is dreaming of Kashmir joining it.First it has to handover POK to the United Nations Org.Maybe now the time is right to do so.Geelani can also become the ruler of POK first.

Recommend 0

Siddharth

Mar 10, 2015 05:23am

@Harmony ever read UN resolution on Kashmir?

Recommend 0

Liaquat Syed

Mar 10, 2015 05:40am

@Sunny Its really bad for india if they will cut off talks with Pakistan. Pakistan has nothing to loss but indian bid to be super power and member of security council wouldn't go any where. It is upto india to have fruitful talks on Kashmir and get all other benefit with the help of Pakistan or spend another 65 years on fruitless talks and go no where.

Recommend 0

nobody

Mar 10, 2015 05:41am

@shahzad hahaha. Westner may call India that. But coming from you is hilarious!

Recommend 0

Kolsat

Mar 10, 2015 05:44am

And when India breaks up the talks Pakistanis get angry. He has erected the flag of war against India yet again. India should declare him a persona non-grata. We want friendly ambassadors not ones who work against India.

Recommend 0

Jallal

Mar 10, 2015 05:53am

@Muhammad Irfan But unfortunately no one in Kasahmir wants to join you!

Recommend 0

Be+

Mar 10, 2015 06:22am

They are meeting from 70 years.What this has brought.only death to peoples of Kashmir by insugency. May god give them right mind.

Recommend 0

shezad

Mar 10, 2015 06:38am

Not sure what is going on. Why does India get all worked up when Pakistani officials meet Hurriyat leaders? I thought Indians want to concentrate on their economy etc etc and not remain affixiated to Kashmir.

Recommend 0

HZR

Mar 10, 2015 07:24am

This meeting is held knowing fully well that it will needle India and all the talk of peaceful resolution is so mcuh hyp.Nothing will come out of this bilaterla vist nor Nawaz or Modi meeting each other becasue the bottom line is how not to settle the disute if it can called as a dispute at all.A nation which can ill aford to frtitter away its precious resources and dpendant on aid should cultivate more mature policies.

Recommend 0

Great !

Mar 10, 2015 07:31am

releasing Huriyat Leader making issues for Modi. Now its quite understandable that Pakistan want to add on to the fire. Pak talking to Hurriyat and Mufti's demand for India talking to Pakistan wont together and thus there is a chance for a break up of BJP and PDP ! Wow .. Pakistan thinks ! Now, not even a fool agree that Modi is bad at thinking. I am eagerly waiting for the Defensive Offense Mr. Modi and Doval has in store for Pakistan. Probably they are measuring how much evil Pakistan has got so that they don't have to keep a barrier on the defensive offense ! Sure good stuff in store for near future !

Recommend 0

Mraduhas tripathi

Mar 10, 2015 08:02am

Now NDTV is getting very popular in Pakistan!!,this worries me.

Recommend 0

Jai

Mar 10, 2015 08:15am

We send out a positive signal by sending our foreign secretary....they respond by talking to separatists. We allow these separatists to buy homes in Delhi.....these separatists don't allow us to buy property in Kashmir, citing Article 370. Infact they force Kashmiri Pandits out of their homes in Kashmir. It's about time we repel 370, get these separatists to migrate to Pakistan, and rehabilitate Kashmiri Pandits.

Recommend 0

Babaji ka Thullu

Mar 10, 2015 08:19am

Modi had given one more change to Pakistan to choose the right path. But, once again they failed to recognize who are the real negotiators. Seems like Pakistan is behaving like a child and not serious at all in talks.

Recommend 0

Zak

Mar 10, 2015 09:09am

@Jacob Masish we feel their pain like we feel for sik khalistan, Assam, 7 eastern states as well! But for kashmiris under even UN resolutions!

Recommend 0

Mahendra

Mar 10, 2015 09:26am

Good going Pakistan, you just handed over a further justification that Ajit Doval, chief of NSA should have freehand working on Pakistan affairs. I hope he and his team are at least as competent as ISI of Pakistan on handling projects concerning their adversaries.

Recommend 0

Mar 10, 2015 11:28am

If the objective is to resolve the Kashmir issue with India peacefully, then meeting with the Hurriyat leader at this time was not a smart diplomatic move . "In your face" actions are neither diplomatic nor prudent

Recommend 0

Mar 10, 2015 11:31am

@Shamain loves fellow kashmiris : Majority of the Kashmiris want a country of their own now. They want India, Pakistan and China to un-occupy their lands. Are you willing to return AJK and Gilgit/Baltistan?

Recommend 0

Shamain

Mar 10, 2015 12:58pm

@AW , under uno plebiscite it will be ajk and iok kashmiris choice. Upto them whatever they decide. Btw gb baltistan isn't included in kashmir. @Mahendra, Lolz. Yes thats why they were out if frustration firing on eastern border cuz we wiped out ttp on western end. Don't over estimate your dovals. Has he controlled maoist insurgency.

Recommend 0

Sunny

Mar 10, 2015 04:40pm

@Liaquat Syed - It is in the interest of everyone in the region that disputes should be settled..But there is a certain way to do it..So pakistan scored on the point that we will continue speaking to so called hurriyat.Well, now india will ensure that even if there is some dialogue this year or the next, nothing comes out of it.India and pakistan can be the best possible friends but there are vested interests which wont allow it to happen. P.S - Irrespective of friendship or enemity with Pakistan, India will be in the top league in the world in a decade or two.Its in better interest of Pakistan to analyse it.

Recommend 0

Jallal

Mar 10, 2015 05:10pm

@Sonny Afridi Please do NOT forget Kashmiri freedom fighters in POK

Recommend 0

Branded Content

28 years of McDonald’s Pakistan: celebrating the local partners behind the Golden Arches

The milestone highlighted the structural evolution of the company's local procurement model.

Etihad Town Sialkot delivers Possession ahead of time

The project was delivered within just 1.5 years against a 3-year payment plan, while commercial possession had already been handed over to customers in January 2026.