Monday, May 23 2005 17:12 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Pakistan today (May 23, 2005) extended an invitation to all Hurriyat leaders, including hardline separatist leader Sayeed Ali Geelani to visit the country and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) on June 2 by the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus.

"We have extended an invitation to Hurriyat leaders to visit Pakistan on the bus on June 2. The people of Pakistan and Government and the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (PoK), have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Hurriyat leaders to Pakistan and we hope that they would be able to make it this time.

"A very warm welcome awaits the Hurriyat leaders," Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani said at a media briefing in Islamabad.

To a question, he said the invitation to Hurriyat leaders included Geelani and discounted reports that Pakistan may not extend invitation to him due to his hardline stance on the peace process.

Geelani is well regarded in Pakistan and he has been extended the invitation along with others, he said.

Asked whether India was consulted about the invitation being extended to Hurriyat leaders, Jilani said, "there were indications from the Indian side that they would not create any hurdles. Hope all of them (Hurriyat leaders) would be allowed to travel," he added.

Jilani said Pakistan's invitation to Hurriyat was long pending and now that the bus service has started it should materialise without any problems.

Pakistan sees "no problem" in their travel to Muzaffarabad, the capital of PoK as the aim of the Kashmir bus service is to facilitate the travel of Kashmiris, he said.

Jilani declined to give a direct answer to questions whether a similar invitation has been extended to Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah, leader of the National Conference.

"We consider Hurriyat leaders as the legitimate representatives of Indian Held Kashmir (IOK)," he said in response to a question.

Asked how the Hurriyat leaders would be permitted to enter Pakistan given that the agreement on the bus service had stipulated that special permits would be issued only to visit PoK and parts of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State, Jilani said those Kashmiris who have been travelling by bus to Muzaffarabad were also being permitted to visit parts of Pakistan like Rawalpindi and Islamabad to see relatives.

Special permission was being issued for those travelling by the bus to POK to visit Pakistan by local officials and a similar permission would be issued to Hurriyat leaders. There is no bar on the bus passengers to take special permission to visit parts of Pakistan.

"The Hurriyat leaders are welcome to visit any part of Pakistan they like," he said.

Jilani, however, parried questions whether the invitation was part of efforts to involve the Kashmiri leaders in a trilateral dialogue.