Mehbooba Mufti denied passport over 'national security' concerns

As authorities refused to issue a passport to PDP president and former chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti, over “national security” concerns, J&K High Court on Monday dismissed her petition seeking a direction for the issuance of the document.

Jammu and Kashmir High Court dismissed a petition filed by Mehbooba seeking a direction to the passport authority for the issuance of the passport to her.

Justice Ali Mohammad Magray of Jammu and Kashmir High Court observed that her application for a passport was rejected by the passport officer, Srinagar as the police verification report recommended against the issuance of the document to her.

“In such circumstances, I am of the considered view that no direction can be issued by this court for issuance of a passport in favour of the petitioner,” the judge said in his order.

Earlier in the day Mehbooba while sharing a letter from Passport Office, Srinagar, tweeted, “Passport Office refused to issue my passport based on CID's report citing it as 'detrimental to the security of India. This is the level of normalcy achieved in Kashmir since Aug 2019 that an ex Chief Minister holding a passport is a threat to the sovereignty of a mighty nation.”

The letter No POSK/Court/2021/(177&78)/150-53 dated 26-03-2021 reads that the preliminary verification report (PVR) received from Additional Director General (ADG) of police, J&K CID has returned Mehbooba’s case as “NOT RECOMMENDED PASSPORT CATEGORY.”

“In view of the J&K Criminal Investigation Department (CID) report, your case was found to attract refusal under Section 6 (2) (c) of the Passport Act, 1967. In view of the above, your application for issuance of passport is refused,” it adds.

However, the PDP president is at liberty to file an appeal against the decision with the Chief Passport Officer, Ministry of External Affairs, Patiala House, New Delhi, in case she has any grievance with the order.

The 61-year-old, who headed an alliance government with the BJP in J&K till June 2018, had applied for a fresh passport in December last year after the previous one expired.

The former CM was put under preventive custody on August 5, 2019, the day the Central government revoked the special status of J&K under Article 370 and bifurcated the erstwhile state into union territories. She was released from detention last October but has been vocal in criticising the BJP government’s policies, especially on J&K.

She has gone even to allege that the ruling BJP at the Centre was trying to replace the constitution of the country with its party manifesto. However, she is facing multiple charges including being in touch with Hizbul Mujahideen militants and one of her trusted lieutenant’s has been accused by the National Investigation Agency of giving Rs 5 crore to Hurriyat Conference for keeping secessionist activities alive in Kashmir.