Awami Ittehad Party leader ‘Engineer’ Rashid. File photo
| Photo Credit: IMRAN NISSAR
The Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) on Wednesday (January 22, 2025) moved the Delhi High Court to secure bail for its incarcerated leader and Member of Parliament Sheikh Rashid, 57, widely known as Engineer Rashid.
“The bail application for Mr. Rashid has been filed and is listed for hearing in the Delhi High Court on January 23. This step is part of our unwavering efforts to ensure justice for our leader, whose prolonged detention raises serious concerns about fairness and due process,” Inam Un Nabi, chief spokesperson of the AIP, said in Srinagar.
AIP chief Rashid defeated National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah and J&K Peoples Conference chief Sajad Lone from the Baramulla constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He contested the elections from the jail, as he was facing charges of “terror funding”. The court granted Mr. Rashid interim bail on September 10 last year and was allowed to campaign for the Assembly polls in J&K, as his party fielded candidates from several constituencies of the Kashmir valley. His interim bail was extended twice but Mr. Rashid had to surrender on October 28, 2024 before the court. MP Rashid, who was arrested in August 2019, is currently in the Tihar Jail and faces charges under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
After his surrender last year, the AIP was expecting a regular bail. “Mr. Rashid has always been a voice for the marginalized and a strong advocate for the democratic aspirations of the people of J&K. His continued incarceration is deeply concerning and a disservice to the principles of democracy and justice,” AIP spokesman Nabi said.
The AIP leadership urged supporters and well-wishers to remain steadfast and pray for a positive outcome in the upcoming hearing. “The party reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing all legal avenues to secure the release of its leader,” he added.
Published – January 23, 2025 09:38 am IST
