Srinagar, Sep 14: “The ban on Jamaat-e-Islami will be lifted not through appeals but through sheer force of political will,” Awami Ittehad Party president and Member of Parliament (MP), Engineer Rashid said on Saturday.
“God willing, (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi himself will come barefoot and lift the ban from Jamaat-e-Islami,” Rashid told reporters in south Kashmir’s Shopian, urging them to remain steadfast.
He said, “Jamaat-e-Islami has made many sacrifices over the years,; these should not be overlooked. No one made sacrifices more than Jamaat-e-Islami. If they are fighting an election, they should not consider it a weakness.”
Er Rashid further said that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and National Conference (NC) have a perception that they won’t be questioned by the public. “PDP and NC are happy because they think that you are not going to question them. These parties have exploited the political situation in Kashmir to their own advantage,” he said.
The AIP chief said that in the last five and a half years, NC vice president Omar Abdullah didn’t take any steps to solve the “Kashmir issue”. “He was enjoying in the SKICC while I was dying in Tihar,” he said.
The Baramulla MP said the focus should not be on political figures like NC chief Farooq Abdullah, as he had already defeated his son (Omar Abdullah) in the elections by a significant margin. “Why are you giving importance to Farooq? I defeated his king, his prince with 2.25 lakh votes,” Er Rashid said while dismissing any relevance of Abdullah’s political influence.
Rashid said he has always been “transparent” with the public and remains committed to addressing their concerns. “I urge people to trust in my leadership and vision for the J&K,” he added.
