<p>The Pakistan High Commission has invited Kashmiri separatist leaders for consultations with Sartaj Aziz ahead of the National Security Advisor-level talks with India in New Delhi next week.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The Pakistan High Commission extended the invitation to the separatist leaders including chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference yesterday.<br /><br />Spokesman of the Geelani-led faction Ayaz Akbar told PTI that "Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani was invited for the talks with Pakistan NSA Sartaj Aziz. A decision on whether to accept the invitation will be taken at a meeting of the Hurriyat Conference."<br /><br />Akbar said the stand taken by Pakistan was welcome as "they have asserted that there will be no dialogue with India without inclusion of Kashmir issue".<br /><br />The moderate faction headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has also been invited to meet Aziz during his visit to India for talks with National Security Advisor A K Doval. "We are meeting today to take a decision on the issue," a spokesman of the Mirwaiz-led faction said.<br /><br />Sources in the Mirwaiz-led Hurriyat said the meeting today was a formality as "We believe in dialogue as a solution for the Kashmir issue". "We have met Pakistan officials in the past and nothing has changed in recent times to force a rethink," the sources said.<br /><br />India had last year cancelled Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan after its High Commissioner invited separatist leaders for a meeting ahead of the talks.<br /><br />Doval is scheduled to meet Aziz here for talks on terrorism-related issues for the first time on August 23 in New Delhi, as decided in a meeting between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif last month in Ufa in Russia.<br /><br />India is expected to present strong evidence of terrorism emanating from Pakistan highlighted further by recent attacks in Gurdaspur in Punjab and near Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir.<br /><br />India's case is bolstered by the capture of Mohammed Naved Yakub, a Pakistani national and a LeT operative, who carried out an attack on a BSF bus near Udhampur.<br /><br />In his early twenties, Naved is from Pakistan's Faislabad area. During the talks, India is expected to share evidence provided by Naved to prove that he is a Pakistani national and crossed-over from Pakistan to carry out terror attacks in the country. <br /><br />The Narendra Modi government had called off the Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan last year after Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit met Kashmiri separatist leaders in Delhi.<br /></p>
<p>The Pakistan High Commission has invited Kashmiri separatist leaders for consultations with Sartaj Aziz ahead of the National Security Advisor-level talks with India in New Delhi next week.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The Pakistan High Commission extended the invitation to the separatist leaders including chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference yesterday.<br /><br />Spokesman of the Geelani-led faction Ayaz Akbar told PTI that "Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani was invited for the talks with Pakistan NSA Sartaj Aziz. A decision on whether to accept the invitation will be taken at a meeting of the Hurriyat Conference."<br /><br />Akbar said the stand taken by Pakistan was welcome as "they have asserted that there will be no dialogue with India without inclusion of Kashmir issue".<br /><br />The moderate faction headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has also been invited to meet Aziz during his visit to India for talks with National Security Advisor A K Doval. "We are meeting today to take a decision on the issue," a spokesman of the Mirwaiz-led faction said.<br /><br />Sources in the Mirwaiz-led Hurriyat said the meeting today was a formality as "We believe in dialogue as a solution for the Kashmir issue". "We have met Pakistan officials in the past and nothing has changed in recent times to force a rethink," the sources said.<br /><br />India had last year cancelled Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan after its High Commissioner invited separatist leaders for a meeting ahead of the talks.<br /><br />Doval is scheduled to meet Aziz here for talks on terrorism-related issues for the first time on August 23 in New Delhi, as decided in a meeting between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif last month in Ufa in Russia.<br /><br />India is expected to present strong evidence of terrorism emanating from Pakistan highlighted further by recent attacks in Gurdaspur in Punjab and near Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir.<br /><br />India's case is bolstered by the capture of Mohammed Naved Yakub, a Pakistani national and a LeT operative, who carried out an attack on a BSF bus near Udhampur.<br /><br />In his early twenties, Naved is from Pakistan's Faislabad area. During the talks, India is expected to share evidence provided by Naved to prove that he is a Pakistani national and crossed-over from Pakistan to carry out terror attacks in the country. <br /><br />The Narendra Modi government had called off the Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan last year after Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit met Kashmiri separatist leaders in Delhi.<br /></p>