Srinagar, Feb 19: Ahead of the visit of New Delhi-appointed interlocutors to Jammu and Kashmir next week, the Hurriyat Conference (G) Chairman Syed Ali Geelani has received formal invitation from the panel for talks. The Hurriyat has decided to discuss the invite on Geelani’s return to the Valley from New Delhi after February 22.
“The invitation via e-mail was forwarded to Geelani sahib this afternoon at Malviya Nagar in New Delhi (where he is putting up in connection with his treatment),” said Hurriyat spokesman, Ayaz Akbar.
The panel of interlocutors which includes journalist Dileep Padgaonkar, academician Radha Kumar and former Election Commissioner MM Ansari had earlier this month claimed to have sent invitations to all the separatist leaders including Geelani, Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF chief Muhammad Yasin Malik besides leaders of all constituent parties of parallel Huriyats for talks on Kashmir.
The invitation to Geelani, Akbar said, has been written by chief interlocutor Padgaonkar. About its contents, he said interlocutors have expressed willingness to listen to Geelani’s viewpoint on Kashmir issue.
Earlier this month, Padgaonkar told Greater Kashmir that they would wait for a week to 10 days for response from separatists to their invitations.
Padgaonkar has written to Geelani to “choose date, time and venue for talks.” However the invitation mentions that “if you (Geelani) don’t want to meet us, we are eager to hear from you and you can send your proposal to us in a written format.”
The interlocutors are expected to submit final report to the Union Home Ministry later this month which will be focusing on contours of political solution to the Kashmir problem. They have reportedly delayed the submission of the report and are waiting for response from separatists to include their viewpoint.
Asked about the party’s response, Akbar said Geelani was scheduled to return to the Valley on February 22. “We will discuss it before responding to it,” he said.
However other pro-freedom leaders have maintained that they had not received any kind of invitation from interlocutors.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, one of the interlocutors said, “We would wait for response from Geelani sahib and other leadership. They (separatists) have their own compulsions and they will need some time to think how to respond.”
The interlocutors were appointed in October last year after the summer unrest in the Kashmir Valley in which over 112 civilians were killed in police and CRPF action.
Hurriyat (G) spokesman said on return Geelani would straightaway drive to Sopore in north Kashmir to express sympathy with the family of two sisters who were killed by unidentified gunmen.
Geelani would later visit the family of the youth killed by Army in Chogal in Kupwara, and Maloora where three persons including two children were killed after a shell exploded in their house.
The panel, which has been making monthly visits to JK, was expected to hold talks with all political parties, separatist groups, youth and students as part of New Delhi’s fresh initiative to solve Kashmir. Though it has asserted to come up with a roadmap on Kashmir in 9 months, since their appointment they have failed to break the ice with the separatists.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 19 Feb 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 19 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 20 Feb 2011 00:00:00 IST