Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Friday claimed that an official from the Intelligence Bureau approached him with an offer from the Centre, but he rejected it.
Geelani's spokesperson G.A. Gulzar said the IB official made an offer of dialogue between him and Centre on Thursday.
Gulzar said Geelani told the official that there can be no talks until Kashmir dispute is addressed and India acknowledges the disputed status of Kashmir and begins demilitarisation to hold a referendum.
Gulzar said Geelani told the official that Kashmir has became a nuclear flashpoint in the subcontinent and horrors of war will devastate the people living in sub-continent. “Geelani said the people of Jammu and Kashmir are peace-loving, and Indian leaders can play a key role by respecting their aspirations, instead of adopting coercive measures,'' Gulzar quoted Geelani as saying. ''They should shun fanatical politics because the need of the hour is to acknowledge the ground realities of the long-pending Jammu and Kashmir dispute.''
Gulzar said Geelani made it clear that the people of Kashmiri will never accept or acknowledged the forced occupation, and they are at war with India for the past seven decades. “Time and again, we have reiterated that the people should be allowed to express their aspirations about political future and destiny of state,” Gulzan quoted Geelani as saying.
He further said said Geelani told the IB official that they are for dialogue which is result oriented and meaningful. Geelani conveyed to the official that they believe that the issue can be resolved only through dialogue, adding that more than 150 rounds of dialogues have failed to resolve the issue because India was never sincere.
The alleged talks offer has come in the wake of arrest of several of key Geelani aides, including his son-in-law Altaf Fantoosh, spokesperson Ayaz Akbar, Mehrajuddin Kalwal and separatists linked with Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. It is not clear whether the IB is trying to strike a deal with the aging Hurriyat Conference leader given that several of his key aides are in NIA custody.