M A I N   N E W S

Vohra calls on Advani
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 19
Centre’s Interlocutor on Jammu and Kashmir N.N. Vohra today had a 45-minute-long discussion with Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, on the upcoming January 22 parleys between the Centre and the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC). Mr Vohra told mediapersons that the Hurriyat demand to visit Pakistan after the first round of talks with the Centre would be looked into only after the January 22 talks. “Let them talk to us first. The matter will be decided after that,” he remarked.

Mr Vohra said his meeting with Mr Advani was part of the routine visits that he made every few days to review the developments in Jammu and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani today refused to comment on Hurriyat’s demand for permission to visit Pakistan even as a high-level meeting chaired by him finalised details of the upcoming talks. Mr Vohra also briefed Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the preparations.

“Let us see. Let them come. We will talk,” Mr Advani told reporters when asked about Hurriyat chairman Maulvi Abbas Ansari’s statement yesterday that they be allowed to visit Pakistan”.

Jammu: Leaders of the APHC (Abbas) have denied reports that they had threatened to pull out of talks if they were not allowed to visit Pakistan to meet leaders of militant groups and the government in Islamabad.

“While accepting the invitation from Delhi for talks with the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, neither we nor India laid any condition, Maulvi Abbas Ansari, APHC Chairman, and Prof Abdul Gani Bhat have said.

The two APHC leaders told this correspondent today, “The ensuing talks are unconditional and the question of permission for allowing the Hurriyat team to visit Pakistan for making the dialogue proceed dues not arise.”