Rakib Altaf
SRINAGAR: Senior moderate separatist leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq has been denied travel to Cairo where he was to attend a leadership summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
A spokesperson for the Mirwaiz-led faction of the Hurriyat said “By restricting the Hurriyat’s political and diplomatic activities, the government has once again resorted to undemocratic measures by putting embargo on the freedom of speech of people and groups.”(sic)
The separatist alliance Hurriyat has an observer status in the OIC, which has been discussing Kashmir at almost every summit meeting during the past two decades.
Mirwaiz has attended many OIC meetings in recent years: at one time, his frequent foreign visits caused heart-burning within the Hurriyat leadership.
Some of the senior separatist leaders have more often than not been denied travel documents by the Indian government. Hardline separatist leader and chairman of his own faction of the Hurriyat, Syed Ali Shah Geelani has hardly ever been allowed to move outside India.
In December, the Mirwaiz led a seven-member delegation comprising his colleagues to Pakistan for talks with government and opposition leaders there.
That happened a few weeks before the recent skirmishes along the Line of Control – the dividing line between the armies of India and Pakistan in Kashmir.
The beheading of an Indian soldier on the LoC, which Indian authorities blamed on the Pakistani troops, caused widespread anger among the Indian people.
The government came under immense pressure to slow down the ongoing peace process between the two countries, both of which rule Kashmir in parts.
Witholding Mirwaiz Farooq’s passport is being seen as part of the government’s tough posturing towards Pakistan and the Kashmiri separatist leaders.
A police officer, whose department issues clearance certificates to all passport seekers, said he was “unaware about why Mirwaiz’s travel documents were not issued”.
But observers say the Mirwaiz’s visit to the OIC summit could give a handle to the opposition in India against the Congress-led government.
The Hurriyat Conference has called the government’s decision “regrettable”.
Its spokesperson added that the Mirwaiz has sent a message to OIC saying he won’t be able to attend.
“Mirwaiz asked the world leaders to stress both Pakistan and India to get engaged in meaningful dialogue for finding solution of Kashmir and other pending issues,” he said.
