SRINAGAR: The Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) today launched a sharp attack on the National Conference (NC), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing them of staging a “friendly match” in Nagrota while ignoring people’s real concerns.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, AIP State Secretary Sheikh Ashiq and Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi took aim at the three parties in the backdrop of the Budgam by-elections.
Sheikh Ashiq said it had become “absolutely clear to the entire Kashmir that what is happening in Nagrota is a friendly contest between NC and BJP.” He said Omar Abdullah’s brief visit to Nagrota “carried a tone that reflected softness toward the BJP rather than opposition.”
He alleged that NC’s “entire political and emotional focus” remained on Budgam — “not Nagrota, not development, not people’s issues — only Budgam.” Sheikh Ashiq said NC had “again betrayed Budgam by sidelining the constituency and staging a managed show in Nagrota.”
He recalled that NC was the party that introduced the Public Safety Act (PSA) in Jammu and Kashmir, questioning why, after the abrogation of Article 370, “only PSA survived and why NC and PDP continue to remain silent on PSAs being slapped on Kashmiris.”
“Since 2019, neither NC nor PDP mounted any joint resistance to the BJP. None of them wants to annoy the BJP,” he said, adding that “only AIP took the protest to Jantar Mantar, demanding the scrapping of PSA and the release of prisoners, including jailed MP Engineer Rashid.”
Sheikh Ashiq appreciated the stand taken by Aga Ruhullah Mehdi for refusing to campaign for NC and appealed to Aga Ruhullah, Molvi Imran Raza Ansari, and Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen to support AIP candidate Nazir Ahmad Khan “for dignity and justice in Budgam.”
Responding to media queries, AIP Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi detailed the circumstances behind the transfer of Engineer Rashid from Jail No. 3 to Jail No. 1. He said Rashid had filed a formal complaint against some jail officials who were allegedly “taking bribes from Kashmiri prisoners.”
“Names and amounts were conveyed to the DG Prisons. After that, the harassment began — attacks, injuries, and pressure to withdraw the complaint. But he never surrendered,” Inam said, renewing AIP’s demand for a judicial inquiry and urging authorities to fulfil their promise.
Commenting on the political dynamics in Budgam, Inam said, “If you vote for NC, PDP, or BJP, it is the same. All three candidates belong to the same family — the dynasty that has controlled Budgam for 70 years.”
He also recalled that Omar Abdullah had “betrayed Budgam by abandoning the seat despite securing the highest votes,” saying, “People trusted him, but he left Budgam and went back to Ganderbal. This is the history of betrayal.”
Concluding the interaction, AIP leaders appealed to voters to “end decades of exploitation and rally behind Nazir Ahmad Khan,” calling it the “only path toward justice, political integrity, and the restoration of people’s rights.” -(GK)
