Srinagar: The Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) Saturday appealed to the Members of the Parliament to raise their voice for the release of fellow parliamentarian and party chief Sheikh Abdul Rashid.
Addressing a press conference here, AIP vice-president G N Shaheen said Rashid alias Engineer Rashid “was summoned to Delhi and detained under false and baseless charges” on August 5, 2019, the day Article 370 was abrogated.
“Despite being held in custody, he contested the parliamentary elections, won with a massive mandate and became the elected voice of the Baramulla constituency. However, since taking his oath as a Member of Parliament, he has not been allowed to attend even a single session of the Lok Sabha,” Shaheen said.
He said the Baramulla constituency consists of 18 assembly segments and accounts for nearly 40 percent of Jammu and Kashmir’s population, and from 2008 to 2018, Rashid “fearlessly served” his people, voicing their concerns and aspirations without compromise.
“Yet today, the same voice is being silenced under the pretext of incarceration, denying the people of Baramulla their rightful representation,” he added.
The AIP leader urged all parliamentarians to rise above political affiliations and stand for “democratic principles” by demanding Rashid’s release and his right to attend the Parliament.
“Denying him this opportunity is not just a betrayal of his mandate, but an insult to the democratic process itself. It sets a dangerous precedent where the will of the people is suppressed and their chosen representative is silenced,” he said.
Shaheen warned what was happening with Rashid “could happen to any of you (MPs) tomorrow.”
