Search the Internet            Tips

All Hurriyat leaders won't get passports: Advani

Union Home Minister L K Advani Monday said the entire seven-member Hurriyat team will not be given travel documents to go to Pakistan.

The home minister said this even as the Hurriyat leaders expressed the apprehension that their Pakistan visit on January 15 may not materialise because of the government's ''dilly-dallying tactics'' in issuing them passports.

Earlier in the day Hurriyat Chairman Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat had said ''I am not sure we will get the passports before January 15.''

Prof Bhat and other Hurriyat leaders including Abdul Ghani Lone and Yaseen Malik, who have been camping in the capital for the past few days, will leave for Srinagar Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Hurriyat executive on January 11 to decide the future course of action.

The Hurriyat executive last met on January 2 in Srinagar at which Prof Bhat was authorised to constitute a team to be sent to Pakistan.

Even though the government has expressed willingness to issue passports, the Hurriyat leaders are still awaiting official communication. The situation remains hazy and the leaders are unhappy at the ''inordinate delay.''

Prof Bhat said there was no question of finalising the members of the delegation before the passports were issued. ''Once passports are given, it will take no time to finalise the delegation.

''We have clearly stated that we want passports for all the seven members of the executive. I do not draw lines between so called moderates and hardliners. Neither will I reveal my choice of the delegation until all members are given passports.''

Meanwhile, officials said some members of the Hurriyat were already in possession of passports and the cases of others were under the consideration of the government. ''Their applications would be considered under normal existing rules,'' an external affairs ministry spokesman said.

UNI

Complete coverage of J&K ceasefire

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report