Geelani passport: PDP will approach Centre

Ignoring BJP’s objections, the PDP on Wednesday said it will ask the Centre to grant passport to Geelani on “humanitarian’ grounds even as National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah questioned why it was being made an issue when he has been given passport earlier also.

“This issue has to be dealt with from <g data-gr-id="22">humanitarian</g> point of view and we will pursue the matter with the Union Home Ministry,” said PDP president Mehbooba Mufti. Several mainstream leaders have called for issuing <g data-gr-id="20">passport</g> to the separatist leader.

Abdullah wondered if it was a “fixed match” between the ruling allies in which Mufti was trying to appear as a “crusader”. “What’s the big deal? Geelani declined to avail a passport in 2011 so why is Mehbooba suddenly trying to appear as some sort of crusader,” he said on Twitter. He added: “If he could get a passport in 2011, there is no reason he can’t get one in 2015. He is happy to travel on an Indian passport and citizenship.” Mufti said: “We will tell the Home Ministry that Geelani must be given passport along with his wife and son so that he could visit his ailing daughter in Saudi Arabia.”

A decision on granting <g data-gr-id="36">passport</g> to Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani will be taken considering various issues, including national security, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said on Wednesday. “The Home Ministry has not yet received anything regarding his application for <g data-gr-id="35">passport</g>. 

When we will receive it, we will take a decision taking into account various issues like national security,” he said. Sources said Geelani and his family had applied for passports online. But he has not yet visited the passport office in Srinagar to give his biometric data.