A five-member delegation, headed by the former Union Minister and BJP leader, Yashwant Sinha

SRINAGAR: A five-member delegation, headed by the former Union Minister and BJP leader, Yashwant Sinha, on Tuesday morning arrived in Srinagar and drove straight to Hurriyat faction chairman Syed Ali Geelani’s residence, housed on the Srinagar airport road.

Mr. Geelani, who refused to meet the all-party delegation in the first week of September and decided to shut doors, is holding a meeting with the delegation.

The meeting is seen in Srinagar as an ice-breaking exercise by New Delhi to pave the way for a dialogue process with separatists.

Sources said that after the meeting with Mr. Geelani, the delegation is scheduled to head to the residence of Hurriyat faction chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who was released from a Srinagar sub-jail on Monday evening where he was detained since August 27, and JKLF chief Yasin Malik, who is admitted in the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) following an illness in the jail. Mr. Malik, who too was released on Monday, hinted at not meeting the delegation. However, the Mirwaiz is planning a press conference at 3 pm at his Nageen residence.

Besides Mr, Sinha, the delegation comprises former Chief Information Commissioner of India Wajahat Habibullah, former Air Vice Marshal Kapil Kak, veteran journalist Bharat Bhushan and Executive Director of the Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation Sushobha Barve.

Bureau Report