Srinagar, May 15: Apni Party Senior Vice President Ghulam Hassan Mir on Wednesday termed Jamaat-e-Islami’s announcement a welcome step, in which the banned organization expressed its willingness to participate in the electoral process if the government lifts the ban on it. He called this announcement “a welcome step.”
Mir was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a workers’ convention in the Chukar area of north Kashmir’s Pattan. He said, “In a democracy, everyone has the right to participate in or contest an election. Farooq Abdullah, who was once a member of the JKLF, became chief minister of J&K three times. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with Jamaat-e-Islami participating in elections.”
Responding to a question, Mir reiterated the party’s demand for the release of incarcerated leader Engineer Rashid. “Today, everyone is talking about his release, but the Apni Party has been demanding it for quite a long time. We were the first to call for his release, and we sincerely want him to be freed,” he said.
