Belgium offer to treat ailing Hurriyat chairman Geelani

Srinagar, Mar 9 (UNI) A hospital in Belgium has offered to treat ailing Syed Ali Shah Geelani, chairman of the breakaway Hurriyat Conference (HC).

We have received a communication from the Saint Luc Hospital in Belgium offering to treat Mr Geelani, who is suffering from cancer,'' a spokesman of the HC Aiyaz Akbar told UNI.

He said Dr Van Caugh has said the hospital was fully equipped to treat such patients and they would be pleased to admit Mr Geelani.

Mr Akbar said Dr Van, in the communication, said hospital would conduct tests on Mr Geelani, if accepted the offer, from March 12 so that immediate treatment could be started as soon as possible.

He said hundreds of other offers were being received from different parts of the world for Mr Geelani's treatment.

''We have not yet decided where Mr Geelani will be treated,'' he said, adding the decision would be taken in a couple of days after consulting all the constituents of the HC and other leaders in Jammu and Kashmir and abroad.

Mr Imran Khan, former cricketer-turned-Chief of Tehreek-e-Insaf party in Pakistan, has also offered to treat Mr Geelani in Showkat Khanam hospital, named after his mother in Lahore.

A senior leader of other faction of the Hurriyat Conference, advocate Shahidul Islam, has offered a kidney to Mr Geelani.

Mr Geelani developed some complications in his only kidney as his other kidney was removed in 2003 in Mumbai.

The Regional Passport Officer (RPO) here has issued a passport to Mr Geelani and his son yesterday to allow him to travel abroad for treatment. His earlier passport was impounded in 1982. Since then his applications were being rejected for his alleged anti-India activities.

UNI