The Hindu : Geelani allowed to perform Haj

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 28, 2003

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Geelani allowed to perform Haj

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR DEC. 27. Senior separatist leader and chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Geelani, is understood to have been cleared for this year's Haj pilgrimage, but in the case of 40 others the Jammu and Kashmir intelligence has not given green signal, though citing no reasons.

The State Haj Committee, which oversees the arrangements for the pilgrims has not received clearance from the Criminal Intelligence Department (CID) wing of the J&K police, for at least 40 people who intend to perform Haj this year. A senior official of the Committee told that adverse reports had been received from the department in some cases.

Some of the pilgrims who were to leave for Jeddah on Friday and today had been left out since no clearance was received. Abdul Khaliq Sofi, a functionary of J&K Yateem (Orphan) Trust has been denied permission along with his wife. "This is interference with the basic tenets of Islam," Mr. Sofi said.

The sources said that the CID had given adverse reports in respect of these people on the basis of background information.

"They are either figuring in the general index of CID or there are fresh reports against them," a senior officer said adding that they definitely intended to proceed on Haj, but "they also have other plans which include meeting militant leaders and separatist leaders who come to perform Haj from Pakistan."

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