Independent files papers from J&K’s Bandipora, taking Jamaat-back candidates’ count to 10
With Independent Mohammad Sikander Malik entering the fray, the number of Jamaat-backed candidates who have filed nominations from the Valley to 10
Wearing a GPS tracker and dressed in Khan suit, 36-year-old former district president of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami, Mohammad Sikander Malik, on Thursday filed his nomination papers from Bandipora assembly segment as an independent.
With Malik entering the fray, the number of Jamaat-backed candidates who have filed nominations from the Valley to 10.
Accompanied by a group of supporters, Malik, who is known for his oratory skills, said Jamaat-e-Islami has been taking part in the polls till 1987. “The recent parliamentary elections were held peacefully and without any rigging which gave us a hope and decided to contest polls,” he said, adding that people of Bandipora knew him very well and hoped that they would vote for him.
“We have many issues, even our youths are in jail. Recently, I was fixed with an anklet which is tagged with a Global Positioning System (GPS). I consider this as an infringement in privacy,” he added.
The GPS allows the authorities to monitor the real time location of persons wearing the devices to check whether they are following the conditions of their bail. “Recently, I was called to the police station and fixed the GPS anklet. Otherwise, I had to go to the police station on alternate days,” Malik said.
A post-graduate in Arabic language and literature from IUST Awantipora, Malik was released on bail on December 2, 2023. He had been booked under Public Safety Act twice and once under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act after abrogation of Article 370. Jamaat has a strong base in several pockets in Bandipora and Malik’s entry has further intensified the poll race.
The Centre had in 2019 imposed a five-year ban on the Jamaat, citing the outfit’s ties with terrorist groups. It was first banned in 1975 and again in 1990 at the beginning of the militancy in Kashmir.
Almost all political leaders have welcomed Jamaat’s participation in the elections, with former chief minister Omar Abdullah terming it a victory of democracy before advocating to lift the ban. Peoples Democratic Party, Apni Party and People’s Conference have also requested the Centre to revoke the ban on Jamaat. On Tuesday, Mehbooba Mufti while advocating for lifting of ban on Jamaat said the “real” Jamaat was still in jail.