Srinagar: Jailed Member of Parliament Engineer Rashid’s hunger strike in Tihar Jail in New Delhi has entered its tenth day, even as Kashmir's chief cleric and separatist leader has expressed concern over his deteriorating health.
Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi said that Engineer Rashid continued his hunger strike for the 10th consecutive day while being admitted to RML Hospital.
Separatist leader and chairman of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has expressed concern over Rashid’s deteriorating health. According to his party, Abdul Rashid Sheikh, alias Engineer Rahid, has been on hunger strike, demanding that the Centre must allow him to attend the ongoing Budget session of Parliament.
Rashid defeated Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Parliament elections in 2024 and Peoples Conference president Sajad Gani Lone by a huge margin of 2 lakh votes when he contested the General Elections from jail.
The National Investigations Agency (NIA) accuses him of terror funding and money laundering. The jailed MP was granted interim bail of 21 days during the 2024 assembly elections in September but was jailed again. Since then, he has been filing pleas in Delhi's Patiala House Court for bail, but the NIA is opposing it.
Mirwaiz also said that the news report that Tihar jail authorities have arbitrarily withdrawn phone calls and e-mulaqat facilities (video calls) to political prisoners in the custody of NIA is very distressing.
“Besides reports of health conditions of many political prisoners, especially the elderly in jails, is a matter that worries not just their families but all people. The policy of severity in dealing with Kashmiris is a zero-sum game,” Mirwaiz said in a statement.
The separatist leader has urged the Government of India to release all political prisoners including the leadership, lawyers, civil society members, media personnel and youth.
“At least while they are in jail to respect and restore their rights as per the law. It is also the responsibility of the elected government in J&K to honour its commitment in its manifesto and work for the release and relief of these prisoners,” he said.
