BUGTI ASYLUM PLEA SENT FOR VETTING

The Union home ministry has forwarded Baloch leader Brahamdagh Bugti’s application, seeking political asylum in India, for security clearance to intelligence agencies before a final decision on the issue can be taken by the Union Cabinet. Following the initial examination of the application, it has now been sent to at least two key intelligence agencies for vetting, which is a mandatory procedure in such cases, home ministry sources said. However, considering the sensitive nature of the issue, a final decision is expected to be taken by the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Bugti had applied for asylum at the Indian consulate in Geneva last week. The ministry of external affairs had subsequently forwarded the application to the home ministry for security clearance. India does not have a comprehensive asylum policy. The last case of India granting political asylum was in 1959, when Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama and his followers were granted asylum by the Jawaharlal Nehru government.