Government taking a hard line on Kashmir issue: Yasin Malik

Separatist leader Yasin Malik today said India has taken a hard line on the Kashmir issue and added that the government is not interested in having a dialogue with Pakistan.

Separatist leader Yasin Malik has said, "In last 26 years, whenever someone from Pakistan came to India to talk to the Indian Government, they also met leaders from Kashmir. In fact, the Indian Government facilitated such meetings."

"This is the first time that the Government of India is saying that we will not talk. It means that the current regime in India does not want to talk on Kashmir. This is a hard line taken by India", he added.

He further said, "Prime Minister Modi says that he will follow in the footsteps of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Vajpayee first met Kashmiri leaders in Delhi before meeting General Musharraf during the Agra summit. The then regime facilitated such meetings."

He also said, "During Ramzan ceasefire, he said on record that Kashmiri leaders can go to Pakistan and talk to the Pakistan Government and militant leaders, so that a genuine, peaceful atmosphere can be created for a dialogue process."

"Whatever we are seeing today means that the government doesn't want dialogue and they have taken a hard line on the Kashmir issue." he added.

It may be mentioned that India has called off Indo-Pak foreign secretary-level talks yesterday in the wake of separatist leaders meeting with the Pakistan envoy Abdul Basit.