Days after Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar's visit to Pakistan, its envoy Abdul Basit today met Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani in what is likely to be seen as provocation by Islamabad.
The two met for about 30 minutes this afternoon at Mr Geelani's residence in Delhi and discussed the foreign secretary's visit to Islamabad as well as the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, where a political row has erupted over the release of separatist Masarat Alam.
India had called off foreign secretary level talks in August last year over the Pakistani envoy's meetings with separatists.
Mr Jaishankar also called on Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and delivered a letter from PM Modi.
'I think, the objective of the meetings should be that some resolution must be sought on Kashmir. I reminded (Mr Basit) of the fact that the main issue is Kashmir and unless we come to a firm conclusion on this, circumstances won't improve," Mr Geelani said.
The Pakistani envoy's meeting with Mr Geelani took place in the middle of a huge controversy over the release of Masarat Alam, a hardliner separatist who was jailed for spearheading stone-throwing protests in Kashmir in 2010.
"I also lend my voice to the outrage on the release of the separatist... this is not one party's outrage, it is the nation's outrage," PM Modi said in the Lok Sabha, promising that there will be "no compromise on the integrity of the nation" or public safety and security.
I'm Indian: Kashmir Separatist's Daughter Distances From Father's Ideology Home Ministry Forms Tribunals To Reconsider Ban On 2 Kashmir Organisations Centre Bans J&K's Tehreek-E-Hurriyat For Trying To "Establish Islamist Rule" At Olympics Opening Ceremony, Drag Parody Of 'The Last Supper' Draws Flak Centre Fact-Checks Mamata Banerjee's Mic-Off Claim, She Hits Back Children Of Indian-Americans Face Deportation As Time Runs Out "Goa Would Have Collapsed Had The Congress Rule Continued": Kiren Rijiju Trump Vows To Hold Rallies With More Security Despite Assassination Attempt Fake Billing Scam Worth Thousands Of Crores Unearthed: Punjab Minister Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.