Sharif invites Geelani, seeks views on existing situations

Srinagar: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has invited Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani to visit his country.

In his invitation letter to Geelani, Prime Minister Sharif said: “I am inviting you to Pakistan so that I, too, can gain something from your views on the present situations. Hope that you will spare time to visit Pakistan at the earliest.”

“Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit handed over Prime Minister Sharif’s invitation letter to Geelani over a dinner at the former’s residence on Tilak Marg in Delhi last night,” confirmed a spokesman of Geelani-led Hurriyat here.

Sharif also said the National Security Advisor level talks between the two countries could not take place as India was not ready to talk over the Kashmir issue.

“We want good relations with all our neighbours, including India, but New Delhi’s unrealistic approach has been a big impediment,” said the spokesman quoting from the Pakistani Prime Minister’s letter.

“Instead of solving the issues amicably and on the table, India wants to use military might, and this attitude is increasing the instability and political uncertainty in the entire sub-continent day by day. Pakistan is the centre of hope for whole Muslim ‘ummah’ and particularly to the Kashmiri Muslims and to meet these hopes, we want economic development, social justice and lasting peace for this country so that it will play the role of a strong and important Muslim state,” the letter added. (ANI)