RIYAZ UL KHALIQ

KL NEWS NETWORK

SRINAGAR

Ailing Hurriyat patriarch and head of his amalgam, Syed Ali Geelani Thursday (21-05-2015) applied for passport, sources said.

A Police Van standing against the main gate of office-cum-residence of Syed Ali Geelani on Thursday. (Photo by: Hurriyat G)
A Police Van standing against the main gate of office-cum-residence of Syed Ali Geelani on Thursday. (Photo by: Hurriyat G)

Giving details, the sources informed that Geelani’s younger son Thursday applied for passport online.

“The receipt/reference number of the online application is CP20175523 and the amount paid for the application process is Rs 2000.00,” they said.

However, the Hurriyat (G) said that the Hurriyat Chairperson has been house arrested and is not being allowed to move out of his home.

“If the passport is denied to Syed Ali Geelani – it is indeed worst Human Rights violation exhibited by the Indian state in Kashmir,” said Hurriyat (G) spokesperson, Ayaz Akbar.

But, JK Police have been maintaining that there is no restriction on Geelani’s movement.

“If they (Hurriyat G) say police is stopping him (Geelani) that is not true. We have told him that he is free to go. There is no restriction on him,” police said. As per new passport law, the applicant has to go to the passport office to give his biometrics and get a photo taken.

Pertinently, Geelani has desired to visit his ailing daughter, Farzana Geelani, along with his wife and son. Farzana resides in Saudi Arabia. The Hurriyat chairman has been continuously denied passport although he was offered the same in 2009 and 2012, which he did not accept then.

Sources added that Geelani’s wife and his younger son have already completed their biometrics, formally, but Geelani is yet to complete it.

On the other hand, Government of India said that Geelani’s application can’t be processed in “its present form”.

“An incomplete passport application was received from him. Fees were not paid and the biometric details and photographs not submitted. The application cannot be processed in its present form,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup was quoted as having said.

Meanwhile, MoS PMO, Jitendra Singh referring to issuance of Geelani’s passport said, “Law is clear on the provisions to be made on humanitarian grounds.”

The issue of passport to Geelani is being hard fought as the coalition partners in J&K are having opposite views on the issue. While BJP asked Geelani to first apologize for his actions of last twenty five years, PDP on the other hand has been demanding issuance of passport to Geelani on “humanitarian basis”.

Oppostion National Conference too asked the PDP-BJP dispensation to issue the travel documents to Geelani saying, “when Geelani could be issued passport in 2012, why not now?”

Interesetingly, Peoples’ Conference led by separatist-turned-unionist Sajad Gani Lone too on Wednesday supported Geelani’s application for passport. It said that the issue is humanitarian as Geelani’s daughter is not keeping well.

Although, the PDP-BJP coalition partners in J&K government have been at ease, so far, on the issue, the prime time debates on New Delhi-based electronic channels have seen huge noise being created around.

“How could issuance of the travel documents to any person wishing to meet his ailing daughter become a TV debate and political parties trying to get their share out of it,” Akbar said, adding that despite curbs are  being imposed on Geelani’s movement, it is illogical that authorities want him to fulfill the procedure for the passport.

Meanwhile, GoI Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar Thursday said Geelani’s filling of Nationality column in passport application form will be victory over him. “On philosophical level, if he (Geelani) applies for it, then in the nationality column he would have to write ‘Indian’. So that is the first round of victory over him as he does not consider himself an Indian,” he said at an event organised by a New Delhi based news channel.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here