Mehbooba’s counsel submitted that according to instructions issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, the passport of an individual is to be issued within 30 days but in the instant case, despite lapse of three months, passport has not been issued to the petitioner
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti was refused a passport after J-K police opposed the issuance citing an "adverse report" against her.
Mufti took to Twitter to share the official notice and wrote: "Passport Office refused to issue my passport based on CID's report citing it as 'detrimental to the security of India."
"This is the level of normalcy achieved in Kashmir since Aug 2019 that an ex Chief Minister holding a passport is a threat to the sovereignty of a mighty nation," she added.
The letter from the passport authorities mentioned that the additional director general of police, Jammu and Kashmir CID, has not recommended the issuance of a passport to Mufti.
The letter adds that Mehbooba can appeal against the decision at a higher forum provided by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Mufti had already moved the high court for issuance of the passport as she had applied for the document last year.
In the petition, Mehbooba said her passport expired on 31 May last year and accordingly she applied for issuance of a fresh passport before the authorities concerned on 11 December, 2020.
Mehbooba’s counsel submitted that according to instructions issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, the passport of an individual is to be issued within 30 days but in the instant case, despite lapse of three months, passport has not been issued to the petitioner due to the pending police verification.
She is currently being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case.
Mufti was placed under detention along with several political leaders of Jammu and Kashmir on 5 August, 2019, when the Centre scrapped the special status of the erstwhile state and bifurcated it into Union territories.
She was released in October last year.
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