Were seven PMs wrong in facilitating separatists' talks: Yasin Malik

Claiming seven past Indian prime ministers had "facilitated" meetings between Kashmiri separatists and visiting Pakistani leaders in India, JKLF leader Yasin Malik Tuesday asked if they were all wrong and the present Narendra Modi government, which called off talks with Pakistan, was "Mr Right".

"For the past 24 years all prime ministers, V.P. Singh, I.K. Gujral, Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Manmohan Singh, facilitated such meetings" between Kashmiri separatists and visiting Pakistani leaders like the president, prime minister or foreign secretary, the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front leader told Times Now TV channel on way to the Pakistani high commission here.

"Even now, the person at the helm, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said on record that he will follow in the footsteps of Vajpayee. When (then president Pervez) Musharraf came for the Agra Summit (2001), he held meetings with Kashmiri leaders," said Malik.

"Does it mean those prime ministers were wrong, that the previous seven were wrong when they facilitated such meetings; and Atal Bihari did this... Does it mean that they were all wrong, and this is Mr Right?"

On Monday, India called off the Aug 25 foreign secretary level talks with Pakistan over the Pakistani envoy in New Delhi inviting the Kashmiri separatists for talks.