Thursday, June 23 2005 20:07 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Pakistan's Information Minister Sheikh Rashid has sent his application to travel by the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus on June 30 but he may not get the mandatory clearance from the Government which has taken serious note of reports that his farm house was used for training Kashmiri militants.

"We have received Sheikh Rashid's application which will be processed in due course," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said today (Jun 23, 2005) when asked about the status of his application. Official sources said it was "very difficult at this point of time" to allow Rashid, who claims to be a Kashmiri, to travel to Jammu and Kashmir.

The sources said his application might not get favourable response as he has not furnished in his application any address of relatives whom he wanted to meet, a mandatory requirement.

Another indication in this direction came from Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal who contended, "When our VVIPs wanted to travel, Pakistan reasoned that the bus is meant for ordinary people. So we too may have the same stand. Rashid is a Minister, let him chose some other route."

Following revelation by JKLF (Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front) leader Yasin Malik in Pakistan that Rashid had organised a training camp in 1988-89 for 3500 militants at his farm house near Rawalpindi, Government had reacted sharply saying it was a matter of great concern.

New Delhi had held that it was particularly serious that "people directly involved in such activities continue to occupy high positions in Pakistan".

In Islamabad, Rashid told a private TV network today that, "The ball is in India's court now. I will be notified on June 27 about the status of my visit."

"It has now become a test case for the peace process. It is test for India. We will see whether India will pass or fail," he told Geo TV.

He said he was confident of getting permission and the Pakistan Foreign Office has also taken up the issue with India.

Blaming the Indian media for playing up the allegation that he ran a training camp for Kashmiri militants in his farmhouse at Fateh Jung near Rawalipindi between 1988-90, Rashid admitted that his case has been spoilt by former Pakistan Army chief Gen (Retd) Aslam Baig who spoke to the world media asserting that he (Rashid) organised the camp.

The Minister maintained that he conducted only a refugee camp and provided hospitality to Kashmiris and not training as alleged.

Rashid, who earlier said he planned to meet all political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir including hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, said he mainly wanted to go to Srinagar to meet his relatives as his parents hailed from there.