SRINAGAR: Delhi’s Patiala House Court has granted temporary bail to Sheikh Rashid, a former Member of Parliament from Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla constituency, until October 2 in connection with a terror financing case.
Rashid has been held in Tihar Jail since his 2019 arrest by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in a 2017 terror-funding probe.
His involvement came to light during the investigation of businessman Zahoor Watali, who was accused of financing terrorist groups and separatist factions in Kashmir. The NIA has charged multiple individuals in the case, including separatist leader Yasin Malik, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, and Hizbul Mujahideen head Syed Salahuddin. Malik was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2022 after admitting to his charges.
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Rashid had requested interim bail to participate in the upcoming Jammu & Kashmir assembly elections, scheduled for September 18, 25, and October 1.
Earlier this year, he triumphed over former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Baramulla’s parliamentary race. Rashid, leader of the Awami Ittehad Party, previously won the Langate assembly seat in both the 2008 and 2014 J&K elections. However, he failed to secure a victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, running as an independent candidate.
Rashid’s campaign in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections echoed the fervour of past separatist movements, while simultaneously resonating with individuals disillusioned by mainstream political entities in Kashmir.
Rashid’s political organisation The Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) has put forth nine candidates for the upcoming third phase of elections on October 1, with eight contenders from the Kashmir region and one from Chamb in Jammu.
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The (AIP) has nominated Khurshid Ahmad Sheikh, the sibling of party founder Baramulla MP Rashid, to stand as a candidate from Langate in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls.
Sheikh, who was previously a government school teacher, resigned from his position in June, shortly after his brother’s significant victory in the parliamentary elections against former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and People’s Conference leader Sajad Lone.
Rashid’s entry into the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections was seen as a bold stance against the current administration. His campaign echoed the fervor of past separatist movements, while simultaneously resonating with individuals disillusioned by mainstream political entities in Kashmir.
The question now is whether jailed MP Er Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) can replicate its success from the Lok Sabha polls in the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections.