Govt must respect people’s verdict, release Engineer Rashid: PDP chief

Srinagar, June 5

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said on Wednesday that the Centre should respect the verdict of the people and release jailed politician Sheikh Abdul Rashid, alias Engineer Rashid, following his victory in the Lok Sabha election.

Engineer Rashid, who is in prison in a terror financing case, emerged a giant slayer in Jammu and Kashmir, defeating former J&K Chief Minister and National Conference Vice-President Omar Abdullah in the Baramulla seat by a margin of over two lakh votes.

Jail triggers powerful sentiment: Iltija

• Srinagar: “Jail is a powerful sentiment that resonates deeply with Kashmiris, given that thousands of young Kashmiri men continue to languish in prisons on trumped up charges,” said Iltija Mufti, PDP leader and Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter.
• She also listed her key takeaways about the General Election in the Valley.
• Referring to Mian Altaf winning election from the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, she said, “Religious influence trumps and trounces good governance and a development agenda.”
• She said Kashmiris, especially youth and women, voted for and preferred individuals vis-a-vis parties.
• “It is also safe to assume that the youth here participated in the political process by exercising their right to vote. There is most certainly a yearning and churn for change,” she stated. OC

In a post on X, Mufti said, “Heartfelt congratulations to Mian Altaf, Aga Ruhullah, Engineer Rashid and Haneefa Jan for winning the parliament elections. The Government of India must respect verdict of the people and release Engineer Rashid.”

Echoing Mehbooba’s sentiments, Iltija Mufti, the PDP chief’s daughter and media adviser, also demanded the release of Rashid, who is currently lodged in Tihar jail.

“Congratulations to Ruhullah Mehdi, Mian Altaf sahab, Hanifa Jan and last but certainly not the least Engineer Rashid for their splendid victories. Hope they become powerful voices to articulate the pain and grievances of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, who were rendered voiceless since 2019. The Government of India must also release Engineer Rashid immediately,” she posted on X.

The PDP president was defeated in the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat by National Conference leader Mian Altaf Ahmad while his party colleague Aga Roohullah prevailed over PDP youth president Waheed Para in the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat.