Government’s decision to suspend passport of Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani has not gone down well with state’s main opposition party, the National Conference (NC), and Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) led by Hakeem Muhammad Yaseen.While NC wants government to explain its position on the issue, Yaseen urged central and state governments to reconsider their decision of suspension of Geelani’s passport.Talking to KNS, NC general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar said that he wonders on why Geelan’s passport was cancelled by the same government which had taken credit for issuing it to him.“I wonder why his (Geelani’s) passport has now been suspended by the same government, which hyped the issue to very extent and did not left any stone unturned to take credit for issuing it to him,” Sagar said.He said that state government was involved in the suspension of Geelani’s passport. “PDP should explain its position on the issue. They need to explain why a passport was issued to him at the first place and why was it suspended now. PDP’s silence on the issue is questionable.
They should answer,” Sagar said.He said that during NC rule there was no ban on passport for Geelani. “His (Geelani’s) passport was not cancelled during our tenure,” he added.Condemning the cancelation of the Geelani’s passport, chairman, Peoples Democratic Front (PDF), Hakeem Muhammad Yaseen urged central and state government to reconsider their decision.“This is a wrong step taken by the government. Such things will result in further widening the gap between the mainstream and separatists. Government should revoke the order and allow Geelani to fly wherever he likes,” Yaseen told KNS. He said that government issues passport to any person after getting NoC’s from concerned departments. “When it was issued to him at the first instance, why was it cancelled now,” he asked.Yaseen alleged that state government was directly involved in the issue. “Geelani’s passport has been cancelled only on the recommendations of the state government” he said. “This move is against the citizen rights and I appeal government to reconsider its decision,” he added. (KNS)