Unfortunate, India does not want to discuss Kashmir: Hurriyat

The Syed Ali Shah Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference on Saturday said India's policy of non-inclusion of the Kashmir issue in the NSA level talks with Pakistan was "unfortunate".

"It is very unfortunate that India has put pre-conditions to Pakistan ahead of the talks. It also proves that India has no argument to put before the international community with respect to Kashmir," Ayaz Akbar, spokesperson for Hurriyat, told IANS over telephone from Srinagar.

The response came after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in a press conference in New Delhi said that NSA talks could only go on if Pakistan kept it restricted to terrorism.

Describing it as a "victory" for both Hurriyat and Pakistan, the Hurriyat official said: "It is India's defeat on the diplomatic front and victory of Kashmir as well as Pakistan." 

Earlier in the day, Sushma Swaraj said there would be no talks with Pakistan if it insisted on discussing Kashmir.