The Hindu : Front Page : Syed Ali Shah Geelani to get passport today

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Thursday, Mar 08, 2007
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Syed Ali Shah Geelani to get passport today

Shujaat Bukhari

Central and State Governments clear Kashmiri leader's travel document

Syed Ali Shah Geelani

SRINAGAR : Senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani will be able to travel abroad for treatment as both the Central and State Governments have cleared his travel document, which will be issued to him on Thursday in Srinagar.

Regional Passport Officer Srinagar L. Sreeramulu told The Hindu that the passport for which he had applied recently would be issued and his son was asked to collect it on his behalf. He said that a country-specific passport with one-year validity was being issued in his favour to facilitate his travel to the United States.

The decision on Mr. Geelani, who has been suffering from cancer of kidney, was taken at the highest level in Delhi.

Union Minister for Water Resources Saifuddin Soz and a close relative of Mr. Geelani had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday and urged him to release his travel document. Consequently, National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan was given the task of issuing orders. The sources said the External Affairs Ministry asked the Regional Passport Officer to go ahead with the process of issuing the document and Additional Director-General of CID, J & K Government, also issued a no-objection certificate in Mr. Geelani's favour.

Mr. Geelani's son, Naseem-uz-Zaffar, also applied for the passport on Wednesday and his mother Jawihra Begum, who arrived here from Delhi, would file the papers on Thursday. The Prime Minister's Office, according to sources cleared the names of Mr. Geelani, his wife and son. The ailing leader's wife and son are likely accompany him.

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