Islamabad:
No Hurriyat leader travelled to New Delhi to attend the Pakistan National Day celebrations held at the Pakistan High Commission on Friday.
The development comes after New Delhi decided not to attend Pakistan National Day celebrations after separatists leaders were invited to the function.
Sources said keeping in view the hostile situation, the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) decided not to send any representatives to New Delhi.
“The situation in Kashmir is not conducive for any Hurriyat leader to travel outside the Valley. So, it was decided that it is better to monitor the situation here,” the sources said.
Inviting Hurriyat leaders on Pakistan National Day to its High Commission is not a new practice.
In the past, leaders like Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Muhammad Yasin Malik have attended the ceremony.
Pakistan Day is celebrated to mark the Lahore Resolution on March 23 each year.
The Lahore Resolution, which is also called the Pakistan Resolution passed on March 23, 1940, is considered a major milestone in the Muslim struggle for an independent Muslim state which was later called Pakistan.
NIA has launched a massive crackdown against the separatists and raided their houses including the residences of Hurriyat Conference (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF Chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik, in Srinagar in an alleged “terror funding case”.
The Government of India Friday banned the JKLF for alleged promotion of secessionist activities in Jammu Kashmir.
Malik is currently lodged at KotBalwal jail under the Public Safety Act (PSA).
Hurriyat Conference (G) Chairman Syed Ali Geelani continues to be under house arrest while NIA has twice summoned Mirwaiz for investigation in the funding case to New Delhi.
National Conference Vice President and former chief minister Omar Abdullah termed the BJP-led government’s decision not to attend Pakistan National Day function as a “political stunt”.
“The ModiGovt/BJP had no problem sending a Minister in 2015, ‘16, ‘17 & ‘18 yet suddenly in 2019 as an election looms a decision is taken to boycott & then we put officers to dissuade other invitees. To think we used to blame Pakistan for having an India centric campaign (sic)!” Omar tweeted.
