Sunday, April 17 2005 20:39 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Firebrand separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani today (Apr 17, 2005) expressed displeasure over Pakistan's steps to strengthen relations with India, "ignoring" the Kashmir issue.

In the 90-minute-long meeting with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, Geelani, who was leading a five-member delegation of his Tehrek-e-Hurriyat, said that the recent action of Pakistan of providing some concessions to India in the name of Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs) was creating a sense of anxiety among the people.

Geelani, who rejected a proposal for unity amongst the separatist leaders in Jammu and Kashmir, asked President Musharraf to differentiate between "pro-movement and anti-movement" people and not to bank upon those, who were out to "sell themselves" for petty political gains.

This was interpreted as a veiled reference to Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

Besides Geelani, others who participated in the meeting were Nayeem Khan, Aga Hassan Budgami, Saidullah Tantray and Sheikh Ali Mohammad from Tehrek-e-Hurriyat.

When asked about the meeting, Khan said that it was "very productive and encouraging". The Pakistan President was assisted by Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri and Information Minister Sheikh Rashid.