Geelani's wife gets passport

Srinagar, Mar 9 (UNI) The Regional Passport Office (ROP) in Kashmir today issued passport to chairman of the breakaway Hurriyat conference (HC) Syed Ali Shah Geelani's wife.

Mr Geelani and his son were issued passport yesterday to go abroad for specialised medical treatment.

"We have received the passport of Mrs Geelani this afternoon," a spokesman of the HC Aiyaz Akbar told UNI.

The three had applied for the passport on March 7 in the Regional Passport Office (RPO) here.

Mr Geelani's passport was impounded by the authorities in 1981 and since then his applications for issuing fresh passport or travel documents were denied. However, he was allowed to perform haj pilgrimage last year alongwith his wife.

Jammu and Kashmir High Court has also directed that Mr Geelani, suffering from cancer, be issued a passport so that he can travel abroad for treatment.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had also directed the administration to issue travel documents to ailing Geelani.

The HC (Geelani), former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minster Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and several other separatists and mainstream leaders have also requested the Centre to allow Mr Geelani to go abroad for treatment.

The results of tests conducted in Apollo Hospital by Dr Sameer Kaul has said Mr Geelani needs to be observed for treatment of metastatic disease renal transplantation for which he may travel to the US.

UNI