Separatists released within two hours of house arrest

In a bizarre turn of events, two out of the three Separatist leaders, who were put under house arrest ahead of the NSA-level talks, were released within two hours by the Jammu and Kashmir Government.

Meanwhile, Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani continues to remain under house arrest. According to reports, security has been stepped up outside his residence and he has been prohibited from making any public statement.

The separatists, Yasin Malik, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, have been invited to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.

The Hurriyat leaders will now travel to Delhi to meet with Pakistan NSA Sartaj Aziz, who will arrive in India on Sunday to hold talks on terror with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval.

The invite is being seen as an attempt by Pakistan to get the talks cancelled, but India remains resolute to go ahead with the NSA-level meet.

The meeting between the top security officials will see the recommencement of dialogue between the two countries after a year.

India had called off the talks last year after Pakistan consulted Kashmiri separatists before a meeting of the Foreign Secretaries.