Pakistan Day celebrations in Delhi: Kashmiri separatist leader Masarat Alam invited

New Delhi: Kashmiri separatist leader Masarat Alam, who was invited for Pakistan National Day celebrations at the High Commission in Delhi on Monday, will not be attending the event.

"I will not go because I'm not feel well. Also, I've some personal engagements to attend to here," he said on Sunday.

Alam was released from Baramulla prison after the new Jammu and Kashmir government's policy to free political prisoners who do not face criminal charges.

The Centre had amid uproar over Alam's release, issued a strong advisory to Jammu and Kashmir government, asking it to put him under surveillance and detain him if anything adverse was found. It also asked the state to vigorously pursue all the 27 criminal cases registered against him and challenge his bail orders.

Read: Masarat Alam release: Will take up all issues with PDP at Cabinet meeting, says BJP

42-year-old Alam is the chairman of Muslim League, a constituent of hardline Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and is seen as the latter's successor.

He had been convicted for organizing anti-India protests resulting in the death of 112 people in stone pelting across the Valley in 2010.

Pakistan is holding its first Republic Day parade in 7 seven years in a show of strength against Taliban insurgents.

Among those who are scheduled to meet Pakistan envoy Abdul Basit to discuss Kashmir including resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan is Kashmir's Chief Muslim cleric and chairman of his faction of Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

Read: Masarat Alam controversy: J&K govt claims release order sent during Governor rule

External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin reiterated that India it has always stood for resolving all bilateral issues, including on Kashmir, peacefully and there would never be "any scope" for a third party coming in.

Pakistani Taliban militants attacked an army school in Peshawar on December 16 killing 150 people, mostly children.

Following the attack, the Pakistan government and political parties expressed a renewed resolve to fight terrorism in the country. Pakistan has resumed executions after lifting moratorium in the wake of attack at the Peshawar school massacre.

Read: India, Pakistan have good future if Kashmir conflict is settled, says Yasin Malik