The Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) staged a fervent protest near the Sangarmal Complex in Srinagar on Saturday, demanding the immediate release of its chief, Baramulla MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, who has been detained in Tihar Jail since 2019. Led by MLA Sheikh Khursheed Ahmad, AIP leaders and supporters, wielding placards and chanting “Reha Karo, Reha Karo, Er Rashid Reha Karo,” also called for the freedom of other political detainees across India.

Rashid, arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in a 2017 terror-funding case, has been in custody for over seven years. The case, which also involves allegations of money laundering by the Enforcement Directorate, links Rashid to Pakistan-based operatives like Lashkar-e-Taiba’s Hafiz Saeed. Despite his 2024 Lok Sabha victory over Omar Abdullah, Rashid’s prolonged detention without bail has sparked accusations of democratic suppression. His son, Abrar Rashid, recently claimed, “Not allowing my father to attend Parliament is a murder of democracy.”

The protesters attempted to march toward Lal Chowk but were halted by police, who detained several AIP members, including top leaders, at Kothibagh station. Ahmad, representing Langate, urged all political parties to unite against the “injustice” of prolonged detentions, criticizing their silence. Peoples Conference leader Sajjad Lone condemned the crackdown, stating, “Peaceful dissent is a right, not charity.”

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This protest follows Rashid’s earlier hunger strike in Tihar, launched in February 2025 to protest denied parliamentary access, which he ended on February 10. His interim bail for the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, extended until October 28, 2024, due to his father’s health, lapsed, returning him to custody. The AIP’s ongoing campaign, amplified by social media posts on X, reflects growing public frustration with the detention of Kashmiri political prisoners, setting the stage for heightened political tensions in the region.

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