Srinagar, Aug 8: The Awami Itihad Party (AIP) on Friday sought the release on bail of its president and Baramulla MP Er Rashid, marking seven years of his incarceration and urging the judiciary to consider his plea on grounds of personal liberty and constitutional fairness.
Addressing a press conference here, AIP chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi, State Secretary Sheikh Ashiq and General Secretary Nazir Ahmad Khan said the prolonged incarceration of an elected MP without the trial reaching its conclusion raised serious questions of justice and constitutional values.
Inam said Er Rashid represented nearly 40 percent of Kashmir’s population and that his prolonged absence had also affected his constituents.
Appealing to Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant, Inam urged that Er Rashid’s bail plea be considered with “compassion, urgency and constitutional fairness”.
“We are not seeking any special privilege for Er Rashid. We seek equal justice, equal treatment and the protection of constitutional guarantees available to every citizen,” he said.
He referred to Article 21 of the Constitution and said prolonged incarceration and delays in trial deserved close judicial consideration.
Inam also referred to proceedings before the Additional Sessions Judge, Patiala House Courts, New Delhi, saying a significant development had taken place in the case.
He said that during proceedings on July 6, 2026, JKLF chief Mohammad Yasin Malik, appearing through video conference, told the court that the investigating agency had wrongly implicated Er Rashid by attributing to him the identity of “Sheikh Abdul Rashid” mentioned in an alleged email.
According to Inam, Malik submitted that another person named Sheikh Abdul Rashid was associated with the JKLF and that Er Rashid had been wrongly identified in his place. He said Malik also submitted an affidavit, which the court took on record and said would be considered while passing orders on charge.
Inam said the development was significant as Er Rashid had maintained that the “Sheikh Abdul Rashid” mentioned in the alleged communication was not him.
He, however, said the final determination rested with the court and that the party was not pre-judging the matter.
Inam said the latest development further underscored the need to examine Er Rashid’s prolonged incarceration, personal liberty and the evidentiary basis of the allegations.
