'Musharraf should have avoided meeting Hurriyat exclusively'

INDORE, JULY 15. The deputy leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party in the Lok Sabha, Mr. Madhavrao Scindia, today said the Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, should have avoided the exclusive meeting with the leaders of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference during the tea party at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi yesterday.

Speaking to presspersons at the airport here, Mr. Scindia said the Congress was not opposed to the tea or the invitees, but Gen. Musharraf should have avoided meeting the Hurriyat leaders exclusively and extended an invitation to all groups active in the Kashmir Valley.

Stating that the Agra summit would improve bilateral ties, he said the process should continue at various levels.

``The talks are necessary in view of the fact that both countries have acquired nuclear capabilities.''

Expressing hope that cricketing ties between the two countries would be restored after the summit meeting, Mr. Scindia said ``mutual exchange in the arena of sports, culture and education, among others, has the potential of cementing ties between the two countries.'' Criticising the Centre for snapping cricketing ties with Pakistan, the former president of the Cricket Board said ``since the NDA has a history of taking u-turns from its earlier positions, there are chances of normalisation of relations in this field... Even two months ago, the Prime Minister had stated that there will be no talks with the Pakistan Government until it stops abetting cross-border terrorism, but suddenly he has extended an invitation to Gen. Musharraf. Therefore, on the issue of cricket also the Government will take a u-turn.''

- PTI

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