SRINAGAR: Jailed Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid from Jammu and Kashmir has declared a two-day hunger strike in Tihar Jail, starting Saturday, as a protest against the India-Pakistan cricket match. Rashid stated, “India and Pakistan can play cricket, share stages on international platforms, and engage in dialogues, but they fail to hear the pain of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
According to Inam Un Nabi, spokesperson for the Awami Itihaad Party (AIP), Rashid communicated his intentions in a letter to the Director General of Prisons in New Delhi, labeling the strike a symbolic protest against what he describes as the “hypocrisy” of both the Indian and Pakistani governments.
Rashid urged civil society, the judiciary, the media, and political parties to go beyond mere rhetoric and to respect the political and human rights of Kashmiris. He also criticized Pakistan for previously dismissing Kashmiri voices as “Indian agents,” while noting that Pakistani leaders now seek to engage with Indian cricketers who have publicly acknowledged military operations.
Rashid has been incarcerated since August 9, 2019, following his arrest by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on charges related to terror funding, just days after the revocation of Article 370. Since his imprisonment, Rashid’s political trajectory took a notable turn in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where he secured a victory in the Baramulla constituency, defeating Omar Abdullah, the vice-president of the National Conference, by a significant margin.
