J&K Hurriyat leaders can now have talks with Pakistan: Govt

But Indo-Pak dialogue process could not be interfered with by any third party, Centre clarifies, as reported by Times of India

Jammu and Kashmir Hurriyat leaders are now free to meet representatives of Pakistan, the Indian government said last week, the Times of India reported. The about-turn comes almost two years after the Indian government imposed a ban on meetings between Hurriyat leaders and Pakistani officials. 

Minister of State for External Affairs, V K Singh, in a written reply to Parliament last week said, "Since the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the Union of India and these so-called Kashmiri 'leaders' are Indian citizens, there is no bar on their meetings with representatives of any country in India."

Singh, however, went on to clarify that the India-Pakistan dialogue process could not be interfered with by any third party.

"India has consistently maintained that there is no role for a third party in the bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan as per the Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration. India's displeasure at Pakistan's attempts to interfere in India's internal affairs has been repeatedly conveyed to Pakistan," he was quoted in the newspaper as saying.

In August 2014, the Modi government cancelled talks between the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan, following a meeting between the Pakistani High Commissioner Abdul Basit and Hurriyat leader Shabir Shah.

“This is a red line we have drawn,” the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson had said at the time, quoted The Hindu. “We have told Pakistan — you either talk to us, or to them [Kashmiri separatists].”

A year later, in August 2015, Pakistan cancelled National Security Advisor (NSA)-level talks with India, after the Indian government insisted that Pak NSA Sartaj Aziz would not be allowed to meet with Hurriyat Conference leaders during his visit.