TAUSEEF AHMAD
BANDIPORA, Sep 12: Sikander Malik, former district president of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) outfit, filed his nomination for the Bandipora constituency on Thursday, marking a significant development in Jammu and Kashmir’s assembly elections.
Speaking to the media after submitting his nomination papers, Malik described voting as a sacrifice that should be made with thoughtful consideration. In a surprising move, he commended the government for conducting fair and peaceful parliamentary elections in Kashmir, expressing hope that the upcoming assembly elections would follow the same path.
Addressing criticism from mainstream political parties, Malik noted, “For decades, Jamaat-e-Islami was accused of not participating in elections. Now that we are engaging, they accuse us of being proxy candidates.”
Malik also highlighted the limitations imposed on Jamaat-e-Islami members, stating that while they are not completely free to contest, they would have fielded candidates across all constituencies in Kashmir if given the opportunity.
Sikander Malik was previously arrested after the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A and has been booked twice under the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
