Pakistan high commissioner Abdul Basit assured Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani of complete support on Monday conveying that the country's stand on Kashmir remains unchanged despite regime change in New Delhi.
The three-member delegation from Pakistan High Commission led by Basit met Geelani at his Malviya Nagar residence around 3:30pm for an hour-long interaction.
"He reiterated that resolution of Kashmir issue is a priority for Pakistan and that the country's stand on the issue remains unchanged," Geelani told dna.
Pakistan considers Jammu and Kashmir a disputed region and supports implementation of UN resolutions (right to self determination) and has raised the issue at all the international political platforms.
"We also discussed the recent meeting held in Islamabad between Indian foreign secretary Mr S Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart," he added. Basit has also sought Geelani's opinion regarding the formation of PDP-BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir.
"I categorically told him (Basit) that change of hands and faces won't make any difference in Jammu and Kashmir. The problem will end only if the military occupation ends," Geelani said.
Last year the Modi-led NDA government had cancelled Indo-Pak dialogue over Pakistan high commissioner's consultations with Hurriyat leaders ahead of the scheduled talks.
Basit also invited Geelani for the Pakistan Day function on March 23. Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, ritually invites pro-freedom leadership of Jammu and Kashmir for the function every year.
The two also discussed release of Masarat Alam Bhat that has triggered controversy in New Delhi's political circles.
"These politicians are making unnecessary noise. Alam's release was inevitable. Even court issued his release orders 17 times in the last few years," the octogenarian leader added.
This was an issue of grave human rights violations Geelani said, adding, "His release is not any favour to him and there is no justification in making hue and cry out of it."
