Pakistan high commissioner Abdul Basit should thank Indian electorate for facilitating his meeting with Hurriyat leaders in New Delhi. "I don't think the government of India is objecting to our meeting with Hurriyat leaders," Abdul Basit told reporters on Monday.

Why India is not raising its voice as it did last year when the government announced stoppage of secretary-level talks with Pakistan? The clue for silence lies in the CMP (common minimum programme) signed between the BJP and PDP for the formation of alliance government in Jammu and Kashmir.

The CMP says “it was agreed that every stakeholder irrespective of their ideological views and predilections will be taken on board. The alliance for agenda of the PDP-BJP said coalition Government will facilitate and help initiate a sustained and meaningful dialogue with all internal stakeholders, which will include all political groups irrespective of their ideological views and predilections. This dialogue will seek to build a broad-based consensus on resolution of all outstanding issues of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Narendra Modi government had cancelled foreign secretary-level talks in August last year after Basit had met Kashmiri separatist leaders, ignoring calls by the Indian government not to go ahead with it.

Basit now says that Pakistan has been "serious and sincere about resolving issues with India through peaceful dialogue".

"The need of the hour is that India and Pakistan engage in a peaceful bilateral dialogue," Basit said.

"We cannot resolve or settle our problems by use of force," Basit said. "The agenda of the Indian and Pakistani PM is common. This is a golden opportunity," Basit said on Monday. Basit was speaking to reporters on the occasion of Pakistan national day.

On Sunday, chairman of moderate Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umer Farooq had met Basit for a one-to-one meeting at the residence of the high commissioner where the envoy told him about the stand taken by Islamabad during the talks held between Inidian foreign secretary S Jaishanker and his Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry.

This meeting comes a fortnight after Basit had gone to the Delhi residence of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and updated him about the talks.

Before going for the meeting with the Pakstani high commissioner, the Mirwaiz said that his group was always in favour of finding a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue and act "as a bridge" between the two countries for building and consolidating peace in the entire sub-continent.

"Both the countries have been holding talks with each other for nearly six decades but no solution has emerged. We in Hurriyat believe that we can become a platform, a bridge where the two countries can build and consolidate peace in the entire region."

Besides the Mirwaiz, others in the delegation included Abdul Gani Bhat, Maulana Abbas Ansari, Bilal Gani Lone, Aga Syed Hassan, Mussadiq Adil and Mukhtar Ahmad Waza. This meeting comes a fortnight after Basit had gone to the Delhi residence of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and updated him about the talks.