The Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), led by Lok Sabha member Sheikh Abdul Rashid, also known as Engineer Rashid, has allied with former members of Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir (JI-JK) for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, reported The Hindustan Times.
The alliance was formalized during a joint meeting between the two groups. The AIP delegation, led by spokesperson Inam Un Nabi, and the JI-JK delegation, led by Ghulam Qadir Wani, discussed their collaboration. “Prominent members of JI-JK participated in the discussions,” stated an official AIP release.
The JI-JK has been banned by the Union Home Ministry since 2019, with the ban recently extended for another five years. Despite the ban, several influential members of the group are contesting the assembly elections independently, maintaining their influence in the region.
An AIP spokesperson highlighted that the alliance’s primary goal is to work for the betterment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, ensuring strong representation in the assembly. “We aim to have both AIP and JI-JK-backed candidates representing the people so that their voices can be heard,” he remarked.
As part of the agreement, AIP will back JI-JK-supported candidates in the constituencies of Kulgam and Pulwama, while JI-JK will support AIP candidates throughout Kashmir. In areas where both parties have fielded candidates, such as Langate, Devsar, and Zainapora, they will engage in “friendly contests.”
Both parties emphasized unity and the need to actively engage in the political process to address the pressing issues of Jammu and Kashmir and pursue lasting peace. “With the changing political landscape, neither AIP nor JI-JK can afford to remain passive,” the AIP spokesperson added.
