Jammu & Kashmir not part of India, PoK not part of Pakistan: Engineer Rashid

SRINAGAR: Member of the state assembly, Engineer Rashid on Wednesday stated that the J&K was not part of India just as ‘Azad Kashmir’ is not part of Pakistan, maintaining his stand on disputed nature of the region.

The legislator in the pro-India assembly, from Langate area of north Kashmir, also threatened of resignation from the assembly in protest against continued restrictions on his movement in and around the state.

Rashid, chief of Awami Eithad Party, has written to Governor N N Vohra, who is currently ruling the state and speaker of the assembly to intervene and restore his ‘dignity and rights.’

“I am the elected representative of people. This is what they do to me. I believe that J&K is not part of India just like Azad Kashmir is not part of Pakistan,” Rashid said, while addressing a press conference in Srinagar.

On 26 January, Rashid was invited to attend the function, but police did not allow him to move out of his residence. Earlier this week, police lodged an FIR against him for allegedly threatening BJP activists.

“First they told us to drop guns and participate in dialogue. We did that and nothing happened. Then they asked us to come out with vision documents, we did that and nothing happened,” lamented Rashid adding, “Then they asked us to participate in elections. We did that and this is what is happening to us even after getting elected.”

The attitude and the treatment by the police and administration, Rashid said, was an insult to the democratic institutions and to the people whom he represents. “If Indian state is not ready to listen the genuine voice of an elected legislator, how can common men expect his Fundamental Rights to be protected,” he said.

The legislator sees a well-designed plan to create hurdles in his movement, right to speech and way of working one way or the other. “My all efforts to persuade the police officials and other concerned authorities in the civil administration to allow to continue with my peaceful and pro people activities have failed,” Rashid wrote in the letter.