Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Hardline Hurriyat chief Syed Ali Shah Geelanis son Nayeem Geelani has permanently returned from Pakistan after 12 years. He had to return,says Hurriyat,after India refused to extend his visa.
The only other option Nayeem Sahib had was to get the citizenship of Pakistan,which he didnt want to do. Hence,he chose to return, Hurriyat spokesman Ayaz Akber told The Indian Express.
Akber said Nayeem had no political ambitions and would go back to his job as a medical practitioner.
Nayeem,who was an MBBS in Kashmir,did Masters in Surgery during his stay in Pakistan.
Last year,Nayeem had suffered a heart attack in Pakistan following which he had to undergo an emergency operation. Even though there were indications from the Centre that Geelani would be provided with a passport to visit his son in Pakistan,the hawk retracted at the last minute,fearing that Islamabad might try to persuade him to abandon his hardline stand on Kashmir solution and force him to join hands with the moderate Hurriyat.
The reason for Nayeems migration to Pakistan in 1999 was his alleged harassment by Ikhwanies,the pro-government insurgents. He was attacked by Ikhwanies at Barzalla hospital where he was posted then, Akber said. Fearing for his life,he left for Pakistan.
Nayeem is married and has two children.
His return to the Valley comes at a very important time. Geelani has presided over one of the longest separatist unrest in the states history and the hardline Hurriyat with all its major leaders including the agitations spearhead Masarat Alam already arrested looks set for a bitter contest for Geelanis successor.
