SRINAGAR: Amid talks of a possible meeting between External Affairs Ministers of India and Pakistan on March 17 in Nepal, Pakistan has invited the separatist leaders to attend “Pakistan Day” function at its embassy in national capital on March 23.
“Pakistan envoy to India Abdul Basit has invited the leaders of our conglomerate for March 23 at Pakistan embassy in New Delhi,” said a spokesman of Hurriyat Conference led by hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani.
He said the Pakistan envoy has invited Geelani and other leaders of the conglomerate including Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Aga Syed Hassan, Nayeem Khan, Pir Saifullah, Ghulam Nabi Sumji, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Ayaz Akbar, Mohammad Yousuf Mujahid, Raja Mehraj-ud-Din, Bilal Sidiqui, etc.
He said the women separatist leaders of the conglomerate Zamrooda Habib, Yasmeen Raja and Farida Behanji have also been invited for the “Pakistan Day” function.
Geelani, who is presently in national capital, is likely to attend the function. He had been skipping the function in past few years.
Pakistan has been inviting the separatist leaders every year to attend “Pakistan Day” function in its New Delhi embassy.
The leaders of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference led by cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has also been invited to attend the “Pakistan Day” function in its embassy in national capital on March 23.
A spokesman of moderate Hurriyat said 34 leaders and activists of the conglomerate have been invited by Pakistan envoy to attend the “Pakistan Day” function on March 23.
He said besides Mirwaiz, others invited in the function include Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, Bilal Gani Lone, Moulana Abas Ansari, Advocate Shahid Islam, Hilal War, Mukhtar Ahmad Waza, advocate Abdual Majeed banday, Musadiq Adil, Javiad Mir, Mushtaq Sofi.