Geelani’s Pak visit hangs in balance

Govt reluctant to issue travel documents: Hurriyat (G)
Srinagar: A Day after Hurriyat Conference (M) announced its plans to undertake the much awaited Pakistan trip next month; the other faction of the conglomerate headed by Syed Ali Geelani Monday accused the state government of not providing travel documents to its Chairman for visiting Islamabad.
Geelani had been invited by the Pakistan government to Islamabad, however on Monday he was also invited by a nongovernmental organization ‘Mili Yakjehti Council of Pakistan’’ for a visit on on November 11 to take part in a two day conference on the issues confronting Islam world over.
“It is a conference where Muslims scholars and Ulemas from across the world have been invited to share their views as to how to tackle the sectarian conflicts and growing trend of blasphemy in various parts of the world”, Hurriayt (G) spokesman on Monday. He, however, said that Geelani’s participation in the conference was still hanging in balance as the government seems reluctant to issue the travel documents to the octogenarian leader.
“They had provided him passport of one year validity in 2007 to allow him go out of country for treatment, however since then neither did they extend the validity nor did they provided fresh passport to Geelani Sahab”, said Akbar.
He said that in case the government issued travel documents to the 82 year old separatist leader, Hurriayt (G) and Tehreek e Hurriayat will sit to decide the future course of action.
Meanwhile shying away from commenting on the issue, passport authorities in Srinagar are categorically refusing to say anything about it. “I can’t talk about it”, Regional passport Officer at Srinagar, Firdous Ahmad told on Monday evening.