The Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) has decided to consult its grassroots cadre on the expressed intention of Member of Parliament Engineer Rashid to step down from the Lok Sabha. Rashid cited his inability to effectively reach out to and serve the people who elected him with a massive mandate.
Party Initiates Broad-Based Consultation
In a statement, AIP chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi said that the party’s committee on political affairs held detailed deliberations on the matter and resolved to initiate a broad-based consultation process involving party office-bearers and cadres across all 18 Assembly segments of the Baramulla parliamentary constituency.
Engineer Rashid has been in Tihar jail since 2019 after he was arrested by the National Investigation Agency in a terror-funding case.
Two-Day Consultative Exercise Planned
“After carefully examining all dimensions of the issue, the committee on political affairs has decided that party functionaries at various levels will participate in a two-day consultative exercise to deliberate on whether Engineer Rashid should continue as Member of Parliament or relinquish the position,” Inam said.
He added that the party may, if required, conduct a secret ballot among its cadres to ensure that members could express their views freely and without any pressure.
