Government issues passport to Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani

NEW DELHI: The government on Tuesday issued a passport to Separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani with a validity of nine months.

Geelani, who is a pro-Pakistan Hurriyat leader, had applied for a passport to visit his ailing daughter in Saudi Arabia.

The 88-year-old hardline Hurriyat leader had declared himself as an Indian while completing formalities for getting his passport.

Geelani had said that he declared himself as an Indian out of "compulsion".

"I am not by birth Indian. It is a compulsion," Geelani had said.

The issue of granting Geelani passport had sparked a political debate with ruling BJP opposing it saying that he should declare his nationality as Indian and apologize for his anti-national activities.

However, its ally PDP had favoured it while former chief minister Omar Abdullah had said it was not an issue as Geelani had been given passport in the past too.

(With inputs from agencies)