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Geelani suffering from kidney cancer
The party of hardline Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Monday confirmed that he was suffering from kidney cancer and had been advised to travel to the United States for medical treatment that was currently unavailable in India, while urging New Delhi to release his travel documents for this purpose. The Hurriyat Conference (G) issued a press statement saying that the medical team at Apollo Hospital, led by Dr Sameer Kaul, that had conducted tests on Geelani over the weekend, had recommended that the ailing leader travel to the US to undergo laser therapy known as Radio Frequency Ablation on his one remaining kidney, a procedure that they said would not be able to be performed in India. Geelani, 72, whose hardline faction of the regions main separatist alliance supports union with Pakistan, had one kidney removed two years ago after doctors found cancer. Now, doctors have confirmed the detection of the disease in his remaining kidney. Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai, a close Geelani aide, was quoted by AFP, while addressing a news conference in Srinagar, as saying: I urge the Government of India to allow our leader to travel abroad for specialist treatment. New Delhi currently holds Geelanis passport. He has not been allowed to leave the territory since the insurgency against New Delhis rule began in 1989, except for one occasion in 2005, where he was permitted to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohd Sayeed also joined the chorus urging the Indian authorities to allow Geelani to travel abroad for medical treatment. Meanwhile, the Hurriyat Conference (G) also confirmed that they had received an overwhelmingly large number of offers of kidney donations from the people of Kashmir. However, some sources said that Geelani had ruled out the possibility of undergoing a transplant. Last week, the ailing leader had urged the Kashmiri people not to forget the sacrifices of thousands of youth for the cause of freedom and take the ongoing movement to its logical conclusion. Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, who telephoned Geelani from Pakistan to inquire about his health, quoted him describing that as his last wish. He also cited Geelani as saying: Everything is in the hands of Allah. But I want that Kashmiris should get freedom as they have sacrificed everything for this cause. You have to safeguard the sacrifices offered by Kashmiris, and I hope you will take the responsibility. Meanwhile, fears over Geelanis health appears to have brought together rival separatist groups within Indian-held Kashmir. Sources said that the umbrella All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), which Geelani broke away from to form his own faction, believed that the hardliners presence was essential during what it described as the crucial stage that the separatist movement was currently passing through. They said that Shahidul Islam spokesman and private secretary to APHC chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq had offered to donate his kidney to Geelani, while the APHC chairman last Friday prayed for the hardliners speedy recovery, while attending prayers Srinagars historic Jamia Masjid. Posted by: Fred 2007-03-06 |
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