Srinagar, Sep 01: Prominent businessman and former president of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI), Sheikh Ashiq, joined the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) on Saturday.
Ashiq, known for his extensive experience in trade and business, joined the party at a function here which was attended by the AIP’s chief spokesperson Inam-un-Nabi, other party leaders and the party chief Engineer Rashid’s son, Abrar Rashid.
Expressing his enthusiasm about joining the party, Ashiq said that AIP, under the leadership of Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, “truly” represents the aspirations of the people of Jammu & Kashmir. “I believe in the vision of Engineer Rashid and am confident that AIP is the right platform to work for the betterment of our people,” he said.
The entry of the former KCCI president into the AIP is seen as a strategic move that could bolster the party’s influence, especially among the business community. The party expects that his involvement will encourage a large number of people to connect with AIP at the grassroots level.
Er Rashid, the party’s founder and Lok Sabha MP from Baramulla, is currently incarcerated in Tihar Jail on terror funding charges. Despite this, AIP continues to garner support in the region.
Sheikh Ashiq is anticipated to contest in the upcoming assembly polls from Ganderbal, where he may face off against National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah and People’s Democratic Party’s Bashir Ahmad Mir.
