Mehbooba Mufti’s Daughter Re-Applies to Court After Obtaining a Conditional Passport Valid Only For Visits to the UAE
The daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, Iltija Mufti, has filed a lawsuit against the government in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court after receiving a “conditional passport” that is only good for trips to the United Arab Emirates.
The authorities have now received a new notice from the court instructing them to submit their answer within two weeks. Justice Sanjay Dhar heard the case on Friday.
According to a copy of the plea obtained by News18, Iltija is also upset about a report that has been labeled “Top Secret” in accordance with The Official Secrets Act. According to report Special DG Police wrote a letter that was properly categorized as “Top Secret” under the provisions of the Official Secret Act to the Regional Passport Officer in Srinagar, stating that a passport cannot be given in her favor.
“That the decision to limit the passport’s validity to two years only and to order that it be valid only in the United Arab Emirates is an arbitrary restriction on the petitioner’s right to travel.” The sin of unreasonableness is present in the decision, it said.
Only after Iltija had previously went to court had the Regional Passport office awarded her a two-year passport with limited travel to the UAE.
Iltija previously said to News18 that she believes the officials tricked the court into thinking she was given a passport before to the hearing.
She had claimed, “They issued a conditional passport which is valid for two years and only to the UAE because they know the court will give them knuckles.”
Iltija’s attorney, Senior Advocate Jahangir Iqbal, argued that the decision under consideration “does not infuse reasonableness and is wholly arbitrary and thereto in law is not sustainable and is required to be declared as ultra vires the fundamental rights as guaranteed to the petitioner under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and the respondents are required to be directed to issue a passport without any endorsement and to be valid for a period of ten years.”
In addition, he claimed that “issuing the passport only for a period of two years without their being any reason for restricting the issuance of passport to a shorter period than the prescribed period, renders the validity of period as mentioned in the order issued to the petitioner as illegal and unconstitutional.”
The argument cited Article 21 of the Indian Constitution and said that the freedom to go abroad is a guaranteed element of the right to life and liberty. On July 19, the subject will be heard.
