Hurriyat leader may leave for Islamabad on Nov 16

NEW DELHI, NOV 13: Senior Hurriyat leader Abdul Ghani Lone, who has been camping in the capital for the past more than a week seeking gove...

NEW DELHI, NOV 13: Senior Hurriyat leader Abdul Ghani Lone, who has been camping in the capital for the past more than a week seeking government’s permission to attend his son’s wedding in Islamabad, is expected to leave for the Pakistan capital on November 16, sources said here today.

The sources said that although Lone had not been given the passport yet, the Government was likely to grant him the necessary travel documents in a day or two. “He will leave for Islamabad on November 16 or 17.” His family-members are already in Islamabad where Lone’s son, Sajjad, is getting married to Asma, the daughter of JKLF chief Amanullah Khan on November 19.

None of the other Hurriyat leaders, including Yaseen Malik, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, invited by Amanullah Khan for the wedding, have, so far, been given permission by the Government, the sources said.

However, Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Forum (JKDF) president Bhusan Bazaz, who is among many Kashmiri politicians invited for the wedding, has been allowed to travel to Pakistan.

Bazaz is scheduled to leave for Islamabad on November 16 alongwith Lone.

The invitees also include many prominent Kashmiri pandits, people from Jammu region and some journalists from Delhi.

Lone had approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) last week for help but the NHRC said Lone’s appeal to it was premature as the Centre had not yet rejected his application.

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The Hurriat leader said that he had put in an application at the regional passport office (RPO) in Srinagar “a long time back” intimating them about his son’s wedding. He received a reply on September 19 saying that the application had been forwarded to the Ministry of External Affairs.

A formal letter had also been sent to the Ministry of External Affairs by the Hurriyat leadership. However, nothing had been done so far.

Along with Lone, five other senior Hurriat leaders have applied for passports. They include Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, Yaseen Malik, Syed Ali Shah Gilani, Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat and Sheikh Abdul Aziz.

Meanwhile, Home Ministry officials are tight-lipped about the entire issue. A senior Home Ministry official said Lone had not, so far, formally applied for the permission.

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However, Prof Lone said he can only apply to the External Affairs Ministry and it is the responsibility of the latter to inform the Home Ministry.