Srinagar, Jun 26: Members of the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) have overwhelmingly rejected the proposed resignation of jailed Baramulla Member of Parliament Engineer Rashid, with an overwhelming majority voting in favour of his continuation in the Lok Sabha despite his prolonged incarceration.
The outcome of the two day consultative exercise was announced on Friday by independent observers Parvaiz Ahmad Bhat and Aijaz Yousuf Shah, who supervised the proceedings to ensure transparency and fairness.
According to the observers, as per Alfaaz – The Words, representatives from all 18 Assembly segments of the Baramulla Parliamentary Constituency participated in 12 deliberative sessions held on June 25 and 26 to discuss whether Rashid should continue as MP in view of his continued detention.
Participants shared feedback collected from residents and different sections of society before casting their votes through a secret ballot. Voters were given three choices: continue as MP, resign from Parliament, or express no opinion.
Out of 773 votes cast, 746 favoured Rashid continuing as Member of Parliament, while 24 supported his resignation. Three participants chose not to express an opinion.
The observers described the exercise as “transparent, fair and impartial”, stating that participants were able to vote freely without any interference.
Following the announcement of the results, the AIP Working Committee, chaired by senior vice president G N Shaheen, endorsed the outcome and thanked party functionaries, delegates and members of civil society who participated in the consultation.
The party said it had sought permission from the authorities to hold the deliberations at Srinagar’s Tagore Hall or another suitable venue but the request was not approved, forcing it to organise the meetings at different locations.
According to the AIP, Rashid had conveyed his intention to resign to the party some time ago and had also alluded to the possibility during his father’s funeral last month. In response, the party decided to seek the views of the people before taking a position on the matter.
The party said the outcome reflected the confidence of the people in Rashid’s leadership and that the results would be communicated to him through his legal team. It, however, clarified that the final decision on whether to continue as MP or resign rests solely with Rashid.
Engineer Rashid has been lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail since 2019 after his arrest by the National Investigation Agency in a terror funding case. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Baramulla constituency in the 2024 parliamentary elections while in judicial custody.
The AIP also reiterated its demand for Rashid’s release, alleging that his continued detention is politically motivated. The party further claimed that his electoral victory reflected public endorsement of his political agenda and not merely a sympathy wave.
