Engineer Rashid calls for humanitarian approach to address J&K issues

Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid on Thursday urged the Union government and members of Parliament to address the issues of Jammu & Kashmir with “humanity, sincerity and moral responsibility,” instead of “political expediency.”

Rashid announced that he will observe a one-day hunger strike on International Human Rights Day, December 10, as a symbolic gesture to draw attention to what he described as Kashmir’s “unresolved pain” and the urgent need for reconciliation.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, he said that despite frequent assurances about bridging the “distance of hearts” with the people of J&K, “nothing substantive has changed on the ground,” and suffering across Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh remains unaddressed.

Calling for “collective wisdom,” he urged both the Treasury and Opposition benches to adopt a humanitarian approach. He appealed to the Centre to initiate an inclusive dialogue with elected representatives and other stakeholders, asserting that such engagement is vital for a lasting and dignified resolution.

Rashid reminded the House of “35 years of turmoil and hardship” faced by the people of J&K, whose foremost aspiration, he said, is peace and stability.

Ahead of Human Rights Day, he appealed to “all stakeholders to give peace a chance.” Referring to his incarceration, he added with restraint: “At present, Tihar Jail is my home.”

Ruhullah tries to raise demolition issue

Meanwhile, Srinagar MP and National Conference leader Aga Ruhullah today said that he has been submitting notices for the past three days to raise the demolition of Arfaz Ahmad’s house in Jammu and similar demolitions in Ganderbal district.

“I wanted to raise this issue during Zero Hour. I also intended to appreciate Kuldeep Sharma of Jammu for his humanitarian gesture,” he said.

A major row recently erupted in J&K after authorities demolished several houses in Kashmir as well as Jammu.

Ruhullah said that on Thursday, the third day of his attempt, a marshal informed him that the matter was “controversial” and that the Speaker had directed that such issues not be allowed.

“They wanted me to change the topic to something convenient for them,” he said, describing the situation as “controlled democracy.”