People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti’s passport application was rejected by the Regional Passport Office in Srinagar on Monday, citing security issues. The passport office said that the application was rejected based on an ‘adverse’ police verification report.

The passport officer, in a letter to Mehbooba, informed that the application for an Indian passport was rejected as the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Union Territory had recommended against granting the document to her, news agency PTI reported.

Hitting out, Mehbooba took to Twitter and expressed her displeasure: “Passport Office refused to issue my passport based on CID’s report citing it as ‘detrimental’ to the security of India. This is the level of normalcy achieved in Kashmir since Aug 2019 that an ex Chief Minister holding a passport is a threat to the sovereignty of a mighty nation.”

The letter sent to Mehbooba added that the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir can appeal against the decision at a higher forum provided by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Mehbooba was placed under house arrest with other political leaders of J&K in August 2019 when the Centre abrogated the state’s special by the Constitution and divided it into two UTs. Mehbooba, who is currently being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case, was released from detention in October 2020.