Notwithstanding New Delhi and Islamabad working on the proposal to start Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service, people of Occupied Kashmir are being issued passports with a stamp saying: "This is valid for travel, Except Pakistan".
The Occupied Kashmir police have directed the Regional Passport Office to issue passports to the Kashmiris despite relaxation in visa regime by the Indian government, said a front-page news report carried by leading daily Indian Express in Sunday issue.
Additional Director General of IOK Police (CID) A K Bhan confirmed the daily's report that a directive was issued in August for youngsters of a specific age group (read Class XII graduates).
"We have nothing against them (students) going for studies outside the country. Let them go and study in the United States or in any other country, but not in Pakistan," Bhat said, claiming that the directive was not a blanket ban and that the police were using the 'Except Pakistan' stamp on a case-by-case basis.
What is startling is that Passport officials say they can do little. John Shilshi, Passport Officer, Occupied Srinagar, said, "We do it only because the police have asked us to do so, in writing. We are like rubberstamps. As per rules, we cannot issue a passport without security clearance. We have to adhere to the directions of CID of the IOK Police, which is the nodal authority."
This unusual directive is also being applied with retrospective effect. In fact, 16 students, most of them around 16 years old, whose passports were issued before this directive, were recently told that their documents had been impounded. This, too, was done under the direction of the police, Shilshi was further quoted as having said.
According to the report, most of the students whose passports have been so stamped do not want their names to be revealed, afraid of the consequences. "But we are hopeful that the government will reconsider it," said one of them. "We have nothing to do with any Kashmiri leader. I wanted to study medicine and only after I failed to get admission in Occupied Kashmir, my parents started looking outside the state," he added.
"We couldn't afford the capitation fee in Bangalore and other places. When things eased between India and Pakistan, we took this window of opportunity and applied. I was selected. I don't know how to prove that I only want to pursue my studies," he said.
Then there are those like 17-year-old Asma Mushtaq, from Bemina in Occupied Srinagar, whose passport was impounded despite the 'Except Pakistan' stamp, pointed out the report. "My in-laws have close relatives in Pakistan. We had applied for admission to various medical colleges with their help. My daughter has not been sponsored by anybody here. I don't know why they impounded her travel documents," said Mohammad Mushtaq Bhat, Asma's father.
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