Jammu and Kashmir Parties Support Engineer Rashid’s Plea for Temporary Release
SRINAGAR: Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir gathered on Saturday to support Engineer Rashid, urging authorities to grant him temporary release on humanitarian grounds following the rejection of his bail plea by a Delhi NIA court. This plea was made so he could visit his critically ill father.
Sajad Lone, chairman of the Peoples Conference, expressed, “I may have a million disagreements with Engineer Rashid. We fight each other politically. But he deserves to meet his critically ill father. That is his right.”
Rashid’s son, Abrar, reported that his grandfather, Khazir Mohammad, is on ventilator support in the ICU of SMHS Hospital in Srinagar. He stated, “Granting short-term bail would not weaken the system. It would show balance and that the law is not blind to human suffering. A man who has spent years in Tihar jail only asked for a few moments with his father in his final hours. It is painful to see that even this was denied. I hope compassion finds space in this critical situation. Some moments, once lost, can never be brought back.”
Engineer Rashid has been incarcerated in Tihar Jail since 2019 and faces charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) related to a 2017 terror funding case investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
National Conference (NC) MP Chowdry Mohammad Ramzan appealed to the central government to consider Rashid’s release on humanitarian grounds. The Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) expressed hope for “fairness and compassion” from the Delhi High Court, where Rashid’s regular bail plea is scheduled to be heard on April 27. The AIP highlighted concerns regarding the denial of interim relief, noting Rashid’s position as a sitting MP of Baramulla, which includes 18 assembly segments and represents nearly 40% of the Kashmir population.
Earlier this year, Rashid was granted custody parole to attend Parliament’s Budget session. He had won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, defeating Omar Abdullah of the National Conference by over 200,000 votes in Baramulla. Omar Abdullah later became Chief Minister after winning the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections.
