Jammu and Kashmir government has issued a No-Objection Certificate to a young journalist, who was earlier denied the clearance for issuing a passport due to his father's alleged separatist links.
"Sheikh Ruhail's CID clearance was issued...Good luck to him as he pursues his journalistic career," Chief Minister Omar Abdullah wrote on microblogging website Twitter last night.
The clearance was given by the CID department following Omar's intervention in the matter.
The Chief Minister had yesterday said he will ensure that no person is denied passport on the basis of his or her relative being involved in subversive activities.
"I will get to the bottom of this issue because although this case was highlighted, I must ensure there aren't others going unnoticed," he said.
Omar intervened in the matter after local media reports highlighted the case of Ruhail Afzal Sheikh -- a resident of Kupwara district -- who was denied passport due to his father's alleged links with separatist JKLF outfit.
Sheikh had applied for a passport as he was going to the UK for interning with an international newspaper.
Omar said the rejection of Ruhail's passport application raised questions on the decision of the CID department as it went against the state policy.
"That having been said, this case raises the wider question of why the CID rejection, against stated policy, happened in the first place," he said.
Denying passports to relatives of militants and separatist leaders was a common practice in the state following eruption of militancy.
However, the present government issued an order that no one, who is not himself or herself involved in anti-national activities, should be denied clearance for issuing the travel document.
