Senior Hurriyat leader refused permission to peform Haj in J and K

Srinagar, Dec 14 (UNI) A senior leader of the breakaway Hurriyat Conference (HC) Masarat Aalam was denied permission by the Jammu and Kashmir government to perform Haj pilgrimage.

Official sources said HC leader and chairman of the Muslim League (ML) Masarat had filed an application with the state Haj committee seeknig permission to perform the pilgrimage alongwith other hajis of the state.

However, his name was not cleared by the state intelligence agencies, they said.

Mr Masarat told UNI he had completed all the formalities besides depositing money with the Haj committee for undertaking the pilgrimage.

He said his name also figured in the list of selected devotees released by the committee and was scheduled to leave on December 5.

''The Haj committee later informed me that I have to leave on December 9,'' he said,, adding ''now the committee said that I cannot leave for the Haj.'' He said he has approached Jammu and Kashmir High Court seeking directions to haj committee to allow him to perform the haj.

''It is a direct attempt to curb my religious rights,'' he said.

The authorities have diallowed about a dozen persons, mostly having affiliation with separatist organisations and Jamaat-e- Islami.

More than 10,000 muslim from the Jammu and Kashmir will perform the haj pilgrimage later this month.

UNI BAS LS ND1644