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Government may have had a rethink
on Hurriyat-Musharraf meeting

Hectic behind-the-scenes activity as part of the Track II diplomacy appears to have weakened New Delhi's earlier resolve not to permit Hurriyat leaders meet Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf when he visits India between July 14-16 for talks with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on bilateral issues.

However, ministry of external affairs spokeswoman Nirupama Rao refused to comment on the issue.

When pointed out that which Hurriyat leaders might attend a tea party likely to be hosted by Pakistan High Commissioner Ashraf Jahangir Qazi in honour of the visiting Pakistani president in the high commission, Rao was non-committal.

"We had agreed that any programme (involving General Musharraf) had to be mutually agreed upon," she pointed out, adding that "We would be informed if the Hurriyat leaders met the Pakistani president during his India visit."

In a significant development, Hurriyat chairman Abdul Gani Bhat and another leader, who had been camping in New Delhi seeking to be made a party to the talks on Kashmir, returned to Srinagar after praising Prime Minister Vajpayee as a man with a 'vision'.

However, Hurriyat spokesman in Delhi Abdul Majid Banday's explanation about the gains of the visit gave ample hints that the Hurriyat had no doubts about meeting General Musharraf.

Banday said, "They came with a purpose and have gone back after achieving it."

An MEA official of the rank of joint secretary reinforced this view when he told rediff.com, "There is some rethinking on the government's (earlier) stand on the Hurriyat leaders meeting the visiting Pakistani dignitary."

"Prime Minister Vajpayee may have been persuaded by Islamabad through the Track II channel that India should let the Hurriyat leaders meet Musharraf in Delhi if they want to. Hence, it is unlikely that the prime minister would make it (a Hurriyat-Musharraf meeting) a prestige issue any more," the official pointed out.

Journalists have already started contacting the Pakistan high commission seeking an invitation to Qazi's anticipated tea party. Qazi is at present in Islamabad for consultations with the Musharraf government.

Some days back, keeping the sentiments of the Indian government in mind, he had hinted that the Hurriyat was unlikely to get an audience with Gen Musharraf during his summit meeting with Prime Minister Vajpayee.

A senior MEA official indicated that according to the behind-the-scenes quid pro quo worked out between New Delhi and Islamabad on the Hurriyat leaders's meeting with Musharraf, the government would be kept in the know of things by the Pakistani high commission.

Indo-Pak Summit 2001: The Complete Coverage

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