The timing of Hurriyat hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s arrest has left Kashmir’s political observers with many questions. The IT sleuths, accompanied by men of the J&K Police, came calling when PMO’s Kashmir pointman A S Dullat and former law minister Ram Jethmalani were here on a special mission: holding discussions with separatist leaders and political parties to help synchronise a likely de-esclation on the border with an initiation of a peace process in Kashmir. Hurriyat Chairman Prof Abdul Gani Bhat described Geelani’s arrest as a setback to the global efforts to reduce Indo-Pak tensions. ‘‘At such a critical juncture there was a need to create a conducive atmosphere for de-escalation and defuse the tension. When you arrest leaders, you only aggravate the situation,’’ he said. ‘‘Where will we go now?’’ ‘‘The arrest will have a negative impact on the thought processes, attitudes and approaches among the people of Kashmir, particularly those who had chosen to talk peace and promote peace so as to resolve the problem and help to preserve nuclear peace in the sub-continent,’’ he said. Pak condemns arrest Condemning Geelani’s arrest, Pakistan, in a statement released by its foreign ministry, said: ‘‘The arrest exhibits India’s utter disregard for the fundamental rights and liberties of Kashmiris.’’ Seeking the release of Geelani and other Kashmiri leaders, the statement added: ‘‘India has failed to suppress the Kashmiri freedom struggle despite its campaign of state-terror and gross human rights violations.’’ —Reuters Geelani’s arrest was not unexpected because he was seen as the biggest irritant in the way of any peace process initiated by New Delhi and also the main political force to ensure a boycott so as to derail the coming assembly elections in the state. But Dullat and Jethmalani have been trying to enagage the separatists. Geelani’s arrest will put the separatists in a bind for any move to cooperate with the Centre would be seen as betrayal of the ‘cause’. Bhat, speaking of his meeting with Jethmalani yesterday, said he had no inkling of any such development. ‘‘He (Jethmalani) was with me just for 15 minutes and had a cup of tea as well. He talked about talking to me and I promised that I would talk to my other colleagues (Hurriyat executive leaders) and then certainly talk to him when I was in Delhi,’’ Bhat said. Jethmalani had also met separatist leader Shabir Shah and held detailed discussions with him. ‘‘I had a meeting with him which was followed by a long and productive meeting with a group of 40 leaders (from various separatist parties), intellectuals, lawyers and doctors,’’ Shah said. He denied meeting Dullat despite reports to the contrary. Dullat, who has been here for the past 10 days, has been meeting mainstream political leaders and others. ‘‘Dullat was, in fact, here on a mission to make ground for Vajpayee’s next visit, especially after the agenda of his earlier visit was derailed because of Abdul Gani Lone’s murder and the escalation on the border,’’ a separatist politician close to Dullat said. When asked whether Geelani’s arrest would provoke a reaction from the militants, who recently called him the supreme leader of Kashmir’s separatist movement, Bhat said ‘‘there has to be a reaction from people’’.
