Srinagar: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija, along with other family members, has been granted permission to visit the grave of her maternal grandfather and former J&K chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on his fourth death anniversary Tuesday.
Iltija had written to the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Munir Khan Friday last week, seeking permission to visit the grave of her grandfather, who died at AIIMS, Delhi, in 2016 after a brief illness.
Sayeed’s grave is located in south Kashmir’s Bijbehara area.
Iltija told ThePrint Monday that she has been granted permission to visit her grandfather’s grave by Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar Shahid Chaudhary.
“We plan to visit the grave and offer our obeisance. I will be accompanied by my uncle and aunts,” Iltaja told ThePrint.
Iltija and her family members will be accompanied by police.
The controversy
Iltija was allegedly detained last Thursday at her Gupkar Road residence in Srinagar after she informed her security team, handled by the J&K Police’s Special Security Group (SSG), of her plans to visit the grave of her grandfather.
She had claimed that her security team denied her permission citing law and order situation in the Valley.
Senior police officers had, however, told ThePrint that the administration had not denied permission to Iltija and that disallowing her would be a decision taken by the SSG based on their protocol.
Although the J&K administration granted permission to Iltija and her family, it has asked people not to gather at the grave.
“The family has been allowed to visit but a large gathering can’t be allowed owing to law and order situation,” a police official told ThePrint.
Iltija’s mother Mehbooba has been under detention since 5 August, when the central government announced the revocation of Article 370 in J&K and bifurcation of the region.
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