Back door was provided for Geelani's grandson's appointment: National Conference

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], Mar. 4 (ANI): Following the controversy over the appointment of the grandson of pro-Pakistan separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Anees-ul-Islam, last year in November, while Kashmir was seeing the unrest and violence, National Conference has voiced its concern over the matter. Anees bagged the job of a research officer in Sher-e-Kashmir International Convection Complex (SKICC), which comes under PDP-BJP coalition government. Allegedly, for Anees' appointment, the rules were bent and he received out-of-turn job. National Conference leader Devender Singh Rana told ANI, "A back door was provided for the appointment. Everybody has a right on government job, but the way that has been taken is wrong. While, lakhs of people are unemployed in Kashmir, this appointment will hurt the people." Another leader of National Conference, Junaid Mattoo also expressed concern over Anees' appointment. "Some senior bureaucrats are working as PDP functionaries. If the grandson of Syed Ali Shah Geelani has been appointed because of Geelani's influence, then this is questionable. We will demand an independent enquiry not just on this case, but on all the back-door appointments," he told ANI. However, Jammu and Kashmir's tourism secretary Farooq Shah, who was also the chairman of Senior Selection Committee claimed that all the rules were followed in the appointment. He said, "We invited applications from candidates; he was found fit for the post." Sohail Bukhari, advisor to Mehbooba Mufti, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, has also denied the allegations. He asserted, "There is no single rule that has been bent. SKICC is an autonomous body. They published a notification for the job. Many applications came and based on merit, 35 were called for interview. One individual was selected finally. The allegation is purely fabrication."(ANI)