Hurriyat invited for 2nd round of talks with Advani on March 27

The Centre on Wednesday extended an invitation to Hurriyat Conference, led by Maulana Abbas Ansari, for the second round of talks with Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani on March 27.

The letter of invitation was handed over to Ansari in Srinagar on Wednesday morning. In the brief letter addressed to Ansari, the Centre said, "You are cordially invited for the second round of talks to be held in Delhi on March 27."

The invitation came a day after Advani said he would be holding the second round of talks with the separatist amalgam after the completion of the first phase of his 'Bharat Uday Yatra'.

Also Read Ansari ready for second round of talks Advani to meet Hurriyat leaders for second round of talks on March 27

Earlier on Monday, the Hurriyat Conference held a meeting in Srinagar and expressed willingness to continue with the talk process initiated on January 22 provided the Centre extended an invitation to the amalgam.

After receiving the invitation, Hurriyat Conference sources in Srinagar said a meeting of the amalgam's executive and general council would be called soon to discuss the issue.

The Centre's interlocutor on Kashmir N N Vohra had held discussions with senior bureaucrats in the Union Home Ministry earlier this week to discuss the agenda for the talks.

Ansari, former Hurriyat chairmen Abdul Gani Bhat and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, senior amalgam leaders Bilal Lone and Fazal-ul-Haq Qureshi had attended the first round of talks on January 22. Qureshi has since backed out of talks following militant threats.