Engineer Rashid's First Appearance and First Speech in Parliament

Engineer Rashid attended the Parliament on Tuesday after the Delhi High Court on February 9 granted him parole to attend the budget session. The Bramulla MP has been granted bail from February 11-13 to attend Parliament.

However, Rashid has been barred from making any statement to the media or using the internet. Rashid was granted relief after observing a hunger strike in Tihar jail for more than a week. The Delhi High Court heard the regular bail plea of Engineer Rashid on Tuesday after the Supreme Court clarified the NIA Court could hear his bail plea.

AIP chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi expressed confidence in the judicial process while sharing updates on the hearing. He reiterated the party’s faith in the judiciary system.

“We have full faith in the judiciary and the Constitution’’ he said. “We are hopeful that justice will be served without unnecessary delays and that Engineer Rashid’s prolonged incarceration will come to a fair and just conclusion.” The hearing has been adjourned to February 24, pending the submission of the necessary documents.

Nabi said they are committed to seeking justice for Rashid and expressed gratitude to its legal team for their dedicated efforts. Rashid was arrested by the NIA on charges of terror funding in 2019. He successfully contested the Lok Sabha election last year defeating heavyweights like Omar Abdullah and Sajad Lone in Baramulla.

After his win, he was briefly released to campaign for his party in the assembly election held in September last year. The AIP, however, failed to make an impression as the party won only one seat. After the election, the Baramulla MP returned to Tihar hoping to secure a bail.

Before winning the Barmualla Parliamentary seat, he was elected successively from the Langate assembly constituency in 2008 and 2014. The seat was won by his brother, Sheikh Khursheed, in the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir assembly election.”