India
The 86-year-old Hurriyat hardliner has sent a reminder to passport office in Srinagar for the issuance of passport in order to visit his ailing daughter Farhat Jabeen Geelani in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Updated : May 21, 2015, 06:10 AM IST
Pro-Pakistan Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani's passport is at the heart of the new battle between the two ruling coalition partners --- People's Democratic Party and Bharatiya Janta Party in Jammu and Kashmir.
While PDP has strongly advocated passport to Geelani, the BJP has demanded apologies from him for preaching secessionism before issuing the travel documents to the ailing hawk.
The 86-year-old Hurriyat hardliner has sent a reminder to passport office in Srinagar for the issuance of passport in order to visit his ailing daughter Farhat Jabeen Geelani in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
A Hurriyat spokesman said Farhat Jabeen Geelani is in a critical condition and she is not showing any significant improvement. "Geelani sahab is desirous to see his ailing daughter but due to the non- availability of the travel documents, it is not possible," he said.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti jumped on to the bandwagon supporting the demand for passport to Hurriyat leader on humanitarian grounds.
"Nowhere in the world will there be a government which will become a hurdle in allowing a daughter to meet her father on humanitarian grounds... It is a humanitarian issue. The daughter should get a chance to see her father. Relationships have so much value in our country. We celebrate Raksha Bandhan, Bhai Dooj etc," Mehbooba said.
The PDP president, who is also the Lok Sabha MP from Anantnag, said that it is not the first time that Geelani has been given a passport.
"In 2007, UPA I issued Geelani a passport to visit Pakistan. He could not go to Pakistan somehow. In 2011 when Congress government was in Delhi, Geelani was given passport again probably o to America for treatment," she said.
However, BJP in Kashmir is not impressed and demand apologies from Geelani before the passport is issued to him.
"BJP is not against giving passport to anyone. There are some norms and preconditions that have to be fulfilled. These should not be waved off like upholding the integrity of the country and not indulging in subversive activities against the nation. He should also apologize for trying to seceding J&K from India," said Khalid Jahangir, spokesman of BJP in Kashmir.