Ahead of India-Pak talks, separatist leader Shabir Shah leaves for Delhi to meet Sartaz Aziz

Srinagar: Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah left for Delhi on Saturday to hold talks with Pakistan NSA Sartaj Aziz.

Amid a cloud of uncertainty over the upcoming Indo-Pak NSA-level meeting, Shah said he would be meeting Aziz tomorrow.

"There is a lot of confusion. I am going anyway," he said.

Speaking to reporters before his departure, he said, "Today we are going to ask the people of India whether former Indian Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, their leader L K Advani or Manmohan Singh were wrong. They never blocked us from meeting Pakistan officials when they came to India during their tenure...”

"Kashmir is an important issue...Pakistan's stand is clear. They are saying that they will come for talks and present whatever they want to say. India can also put forward its argument but Kashmir must be included," he insisted.

Shah, who parted ways with moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference last year and formed a separate unit, was yesterday placed under house arrest and not allowed to go for Friday prayers.

The top separatist leaders have received an invite from Pakistan High Commission in Delhi for a reception being hosted in the honour of National Security Advisor, who is scheduled to arrive in Delhi to hold talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval tomorrow.

The Pakistan High Commission's invitation to Geelani and other separatist leaders to meet Aziz has upset New Delhi but Pakistan has stuck to the line that such meetings were "routine".

Meanwhile, the state government has said that it will not detain any Hurriyat leader.