Remembrance: Iltija Mufti can visit grandfather’s grave

Jammu and Kashmir administration is unlikely to give permission to regional Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) to visit the mausoleum of its founder, late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed on his fourth anniversary on January 7.

The PDP was planning to hold a function at the graveyard of Mufti on Tuesday to mark his fourth death anniversary. However, only family members barring incarcerated PDP president Mehbooba Mufti would be allowed to visit the grave of Mufti in his hometown Bijbehara in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district to offer fateh (prayers) and to pay tributes.

Mehbooba’s daughter Iltija confirmed to reporters that the administration has conveyed to them that only family members will be allowed to visit the mausoleum of late Mufti. “The party has not been allowed and PDP’s request has been turned down,” she said.

Mufti died on January 7 in 2016 when he was the chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and heading PDP-BJP alliance.

A senior police official said the family has been allowed to visit but a large gathering can’t be allowed owing to law and order situation.

Last Thursday, Iltija was allegedly detained at her Gupkar Road residence, here, after she informed her security team, handled by the J&K Police’s Special Security Group (SSG), of her plans to visit the grave of her grandfather.

However, the administration had said that disallowing her was a decision taken by the SSG based on their protocol.

Mehbooba, along with two other former chief ministers – Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar, has been under detention since 5 August, when the Centre scrapped J&K’s special status under Article 370 and bifurcation the erstwhile state into two union territories.

Meanwhile, PDP general secretary Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura on Monday described Mufti Muhammad Sayeed as “a far-sighted political leader and an astute administrator who, during his two tenures as chief minister, remained focused on securing development and bettering the lot of people of J&K."