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Hurriyat team for Pak to be decided by consensus: Geelani

Ajay Kaul in New Delhi

As the Hurriyat Conference meets on Tuesday to discuss the proposed visit to Pakistan this month, a senior member of the alliance asserted on Monday that the composition of the delegation will be decided by consensus.

Reacting to reports that he was not being given travel documents as he had not applied for them, Syed Ali Shah Geelani told PTI that his application for a passport had been pending with the government for two years.

"I have applied for the passport in Srinagar two years back. In fact, myself and Abdul Ghani Lone (another Hurriyat leader) had applied jointly," said Geelani, who represents the Jamaat-e-Islami in the Hurriyat Conference.

Stating that his passport had been impounded in 1981, he said the passport department was delaying issuing his document, saying it was a political matter and would be decided accordingly.

Asked about various speculation on the constitution of the team that will travel to Pakistan on January 15, the former Hurriyat chairman said, "let the government issue documents to all the seven executive council members. We will then decide the team through consensus."

There had been no official communication from the government on who would be issued the passports, he added. Other Hurriyat leaders, including chairman Abdul Ghani Bhat, Mirwaiz Omar Farooq and Lone, have said the government issue documents to all the seven executive members and let it decide the team to Pakistan.

According to informed sources, the Centre has given clearance for the issuing of passports to only four Hurriyat leaders.

While Mirwaiz Farooq already possesses travel documents, the government, according to sources, is to restore the impounded passports of Hurriyat Chairman Abdul Ghani Bhat, Shia leader Maulana Abbas Ansari and Lone and issue a fresh passport to Yasin Malik.

Sources said Geelani was not being issued travel documents as he had not requested the same.

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