JeI has never supported violence in Kashmir: Former Gen Secy

Srinagar, Aug 25: Former JeI General Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, Ghulam Qadir Lone, stated on Sunday that they (JeI) have not yet received official confirmation about the ban.
Since the ban remains, they will continue to encourage voting and support candidates who align with their values.
Lone further elaborated, “As I have already stated, if the ban had been removed, we would have participated in elections as a party. Since the ban has not been revoked, we will continue to vote as we always have because voting is necessary. Voting is our constitutional right, and our entire system is built on this foundation.”
“We believe that even if the ban is not removed, it can still be legally challenged. Moreover, we plan to explain this to the people and inform them. Jamaat-e-Islami is a peaceful organization. In 1998, the then Amir Jamaat, Ghulam Muhammad Bhat, made a formal announcement that we have no connection with violence. Since that time until today, we have not engaged in any actions or taken any steps that go against our constitution, the national constitution, our thoughts, our beliefs, or our code of conduct.”
Talking about post-1987 election rigging, Lone said that the Jamaat decided to protest against the mass rigging by not taking part in any electoral process. However, “For a long time no one asked us why we were protesting. We have talked to the government several times in recent years, and they promised us that what happened in 1987 will never be repeated again and so far, indeed it hasn’t. Despite not participating in violence in the Kashmir Valley, the JeI’s schools were closed, and our (JeI) properties were seized by the government. We have received reports that these buildings have become safe havens for drug users.”
“The Jamaat will support independent candidates whose ideology aligns with ours and who will address the issues of the common people, including the concerns of non-locals. We will especially support those who will speak out against the ban on this Jamaat and encourage people to vote in their favour.”
Lone added, “So far, we have not decided how many people will contest the elections independently, but discussions are ongoing. In the coming days, the figure will become clearer. We were hoping that the JeI would be able to contest elections on its own, but due to the ban not being lifted by the Tribunal, we won’t be able to contest as a party. However, we will still cast our votes and support those who raise the issues of the common people, including the problems facing our fruit industry, unemployment, and several other major issues.”
When asked about the number of candidates JeI plans to field independently, the former General Secretary said, “This has not yet been finalized, but it will be clarified in the coming days.”