Former chief minister and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday justified Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi calling up Kashmiri Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. She said that terming the phone call as “anti-India” has reduced the ties between the two countries to an “unbelievable nadir”.
Mehbooba’s remarks on the sensitive issue came on the social media in reaction to India summoning Pakistan High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood and lodging a strong protest over the telephonic conversation initiated by Pakistani foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, with Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
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Qureshi had reportedly tried to instigate the Mirwaiz by briefing him about the anti-India Kashmir Solidarity Day that Pakistan would observe on February 5.
In a retaliatory, Pakistan on Thursday summoned India’s high commissioner in Islamabad.
Taking to Twitter, Mehbooba said; “Terming a phone call between Pakistani FM & Mirwaiz Umar Farooq sahab as anti India has reduced ties to an unbelievable nadir”.
“A foreign policy dictated by the compulsions of electoral politics is shockingly pathetic.”
She said, “Ironically it was NDA under Vajpayee ji that facilitated meetings between Hurriyat leaders & Pakistani dignitaries plus allowing them to visit Pakistan to hold talks with the establishment including the then President General Musharraf”.
Meanwhile, Syed Alishah Geelani, who is under house arrest, was on Thursday allowed to hold a meeting of the Majlis-e-Shoora of the Hurriyat Conference at his residence.
Those attending the meeting spewed venom against India for detaining their activists involved in alleged anti-national activities.