National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday visited the SKIMS hospital here to enquire about the health of noted Islamic scholar and former Hurriyat Conference chairman Mohammad Abbas Ansari, who was hospitalised after his health deteriorated a few days ago.

The NC president and Member of Parliament from Srinagar visited the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) hospital, Soura, to enquire about the health of Ansari, who is also the chairman of the Ittihadul Muslimeen, a party spokesman said.

Abdullah wished Ansari speedy and complete recovery, he said.

The NC president was accompanied by the party's provincial president, Kashmir, Nasir Aslam Wani, and other party leaders.

The noted Shia leader, Ansari, was elected chairman of the Hurriyat Conference in July 2003. During his tenure as the chairman of the Hurriyat, Ansari initiated a dialogue process with the central government and a delegation led by him met with the then deputy prime minister L K Advani in New Delhi in January 2004.