Geelani’s incomplete passport form can’t be processed: MEA

Hours after the Union Home Ministry said the request will be processed on “merit” as the travel document is the “right of every Indian citizen”, External Affairs Ministry asserted that “the application cannot be processed in its present form”.

“We have seen media reports of Syed Ali Geelani’s passport application. An incomplete passport application was received from him. Fees were not paid and the biometric details and photographs not submitted,” said Vikas Swarup, spokesperson, MEA.

Swaroop’s response came after sources had said that the ministries of Home Affairs and External Affairs will take a decision on the issue in consultation with the J&K government only after Geelani visits the nearest passport office for biometrics.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, meanwhile, said Geelani will have to write ‘Indian’ in the nationality column to apply for the passport.

“Passport is the right of every Indian citizen and is issued by the Ministry of External Affairs after following due process. In case any applicant applies for the passport, he should fulfil all the formalities before his case is processed. As and when the matter is referred to the Ministry of Home Affairs, we will process the case on merit,” a Home Ministry spokesperson said.

J&K ruling coalition partners – Peoples Democratic  Party (PDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are divided over the Geelani passport issue.

The PDP has said it would approach the Centre for giving passport to Geelani on “humanitarian” grounds while BJP has said he should not be given the travel document till he “apologises” for his anti-national activities.

Sources said Geelani and his family members want to travel to Jeddah and have applied for passports online.

But he has not yet visited the regional passport office in Srinagar to give his biometric data and clicking the photograph. As per the new rules, an applicant must visit the passport office in person to give biometric details and click the photograph.

<g data-gr-id="53">A d</g> Jammu: As many as 148 panchayat members in J&K resigned last year, following threats from terrorists, with Budgam district topping the list with 26 sarpanches and panches quitting their posts. Officials of the J&K Home Ministry said Budgam topped in the resignation of panchayat members. It was followed by Leh district in Ladakh region, where 24 panchayat members have resigned during the period, they said. In Baramulla, 22 sarpanches and panches resigned from their posts, followed by 15 each in Pulwama and Kargil, 11 in Ganderbal, 10 in Kupwara, eight in Shopian, six in Anantnag, five in Kulgam, two in Srinagar and one in Bandipora.