To ensure meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif takes place on Friday, at the sidelines of the ongoing Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Ufa, Russia without any hiccup, the Pakistani High Commissioner in New Delhi has postponed customary Iftar party for separatists.

According to separatist sources, Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit had sent invitations to all Kashmiri separatist leaders for Iftar dinner at Pakistan embassy for July 4.

The invites included Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Miwaiz Umar Farooq, Mohammad Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmad Shah.

The dinner is being held every year for the separatist leaders. However, later the High Commission conveyed to separatist that the Iftar has postponed.

"No fresh date for next invitation has been announced and it seems next date would be after Modi-Nawaz meeting," said a top separatist leader.

"I think Pakistan didn't want to have huge media focus on Iftar at a time when Prime Ministers of two countries are meeting and that is why they have postponed it," said a lower rung separatist leader pleading anonymity.

In August 2014, India cancelled talks with Pakistan after Pakistan's High Commissioner in Delhi consulted Kashmiri separatist leaders ahead of secretary level talks.

The foreign secretaries of two countries were to meet in Islamabad in May, 2014 to discuss the resumption of formal dialogue. Pakistan had described invitation to separatists longstanding practice saying prior to Pakistan-India talks, meetings with Kashmiri leaders is held to facilitate meaningful discussions on the issue of Kashmir.

