Geelani opens door to delegation led by Yashwant Sinha

Samaan Lateef

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 25 

A five-member  delegation led by former finance minister  Yashwant Sinha  arrived here on  Tuesday  to hold discussions with the separatist leaders to  find a way forward to defuse the current  Kashmir unrest which entered  its 109th day today.

The other members of the group are former divisional commissioner of Kashmir Wajahat Habibullah, Air Vice-Marshal Kapil Kak, Shushoba Bharve, and journalist Bharat Bhushan.

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This has been dubbed “Track II initiative” by some quarters as it is for the first time that the civil society members would be able to interact with the separatist leadership.

Hard line separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani allowed them inside his residence unlike members of previous all-party delegations to Kashmir.

“We are not a delegation. We are a few people who have come with goodwill to share the pain of Kashmiri people. We have no invite but have requested to meet the separatists. We will try to meet all separatist leaders,” Sinha told reporters.

The delegation will also meet Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti during their stay in the Valley.