SRINAGAR: The regional passport officer in Srinagar has refused a passport to former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and her mother Gulshan Nazir, citing an adverse police verification report.
The officer at BB Nagar, in two separate letters dated March 26, informed PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and her mother that their passports were refused owing to the “adverse CID report”, which is required under the provisions of the Passport Act, 1967. Gulshan Nazir also received the same letter. However, it says the women can appeal against the decision at a higher forum provided by the MEA.
Mehbooba and her mother had applied for a renewal of their passports after its expiry in May last year, in December. However, she did not get her passport till March 2021, after which she she approached the J&K high court.
Mehbooba said this shows the level of normalcy achieved in Kashmir. She tweeted, “Passport Office refused to issue my passport based on CID’s report citing it is ‘detrimental’ to the security of India. This is the level of normalcy achieved in Kashmir since Aug 2019 that an ex-CM holding a passport is a threat to the sovereignty of a mighty nation.” She released the passport office letters sent to her.
The J&K high court heard the petition on March 23, wherein additional solicitor General T M Shamsi, representing the MEA and the passport office, sought a short adjournment after the counsel representing the J&K CID informed Justice Ali Mohammed Magrey that the verification report on Mehbooba’s passport application had been submitted on March 18.
However, Shamsi informed the court that he had received a communication from the passport officer in Srinagar on March 22 and the contents “reveal that the verification of the petitioner is under process and as soon as the process is completed, the requisite report will be submitted immediately for further course of action”.
“Communication further reveals that CID verification report in respect of the petitioner is still awaited from the JK CID,” Justice Magrey said.
HC dismisses Mehbooba’s plea:
The Jammu and Kashmir HC on Monday dismissed the petition by PDP chief and former CM Mehbooba Mufti, seeking its directions for issuance of the passport.