Wednesday, April 13 2005 15:14 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Responding to a desire expressed repeatedly by the Hurriyat Conference (HC), Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has agreed to meet its leaders tomorrow (Apr 14, 2005) or on Friday (Apr 15, 2005) but the separatist conglomerate prefers to meet him after April 17 when they are scheduled to hold talks with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf.

The Hurriyat leaders, who had earlier agreed to meet Singh on either of the dates proposed by the Centre, have now conveyed that they would prefer to meet the Prime Minister after April 17 sources said.

The change of mind by Hurriyat leaders comes after their apparent consultations with the Pakistani establishment.

"The decision of the Prime Minister meeting the Hurriyat leaders on April 14 or 15 was taken before he went to Kashmir on April 7 to flag-off the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service," the sources said.

The decision was conveyed to the Hurriyat faction led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and they had agreed to meet Singh on either of these days, they said.

However, Farooq yesterday (Apr 12, 2005) said that he would not be able to come to Delhi before April 16, as he has to attend a religious ceremony back home, an argument seen as a pretext to put off their meeting with Singh till after their interface with Musharraf.

Government officials said that after the Hurriyat leaders expressed their inability to meet Singh on the days conveyed to them, new dates have to be decided depending on the Prime Minister's availability.

The Hurriyat had adopted a similar approach at the time of Agra Summit in 2001.

The then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had given them time to meet before the Summit but the separatist conglomerate had expressed desire to meet Musharraf first. As a result of which no meeting could take place between them and Vajpayee.

Mirwaiz Farooq said in Srinagar yesterday that the Hurriyat leaders wanted to meet the leaders of India and Pakistan and while Musharraf has given them time on April 17, there was "no positive response" from the Prime Minister's Office as yet.

Farooq, who was speaking after meetings of Hurriyat's Executive Committee and General Council, said that the amalgam wanted to avail the opportunity to impress upon the two countries that a "permanent, honourable and just" solution to Kashmir issue was not possible without the inclusion of representatives of Kashmiris in the dialogue process.

Significantly, the meeting was abstained by the People's Conference leader Bilal Gani Lone.