Jailed MP Rashid to move statehood resolution in Parliament

With the demand for the restoration of statehood gaining momentum in Jammu and Kashmir, the Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) has announced that its president and jailed Baramulla MP, Sheikh Abdul Rashid—popularly known as Engineer Rashid—will move a resolution in the upcoming Parliament session demanding the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

In a statement, AIP chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi said that despite “being unjustly jailed, Engineer Rashid

has not allowed the chains of incarceration to silence the voice of his people.”

“He will continue to use every democratic platform available to uphold the aspirations and sentiments of Jammu and Kashmir,” Nabi said, adding that the demand for statehood is not a favour but a “constitutional right that was unilaterally taken away in 2019.”

“It is time Parliament corrects this historic wrong. Engineer Rashid’s resolution is a reflection of the people’s yearning for dignity, democratic rights and self-respect,” he said.

Nabi emphasised that the restoration of statehood is not merely a political demand but a matter of democratic justice. “It is about the right to self-governance, the right to have elected representatives decide local matters, and the restoration of a constitutional relationship that once defined India’s federal character,” he said.

The party reiterated that Rashid’s presence in Parliament “is not merely symbolic but a continuation of his decades-long struggle for justice and representation.”

“His decision to move this resolution, even from behind bars, shows that neither walls nor injustice can suppress the democratic spirit that he embodies,” Nabi said. “As the Parliament session opens on July 21, the question before lawmakers is clear: will they respond to a call for justice from a man in chains, or will they allow silence to become the new status quo?” he asked.